A walk through hell
by ScriptsOfShadows
Summary: Chuck is the CEO of Bass Inc. and in his senior year at St. Judes. Jenny is Queen of the school and Chucks secretary. Nate seems pretty happy with Serena. So what happens when the new girl Blair starts stealing all of the attention? STRONG LANGUAGE. SEXUAL THEMES.
1. Reptilia

**Good morning Upper East Siders.**

**As everyone knows, Saks fifth avenue announced Friday that they will be featuring Waldorf designs. ****Our must-have fashions for the season. Sources say** the stores may have the upcoming line as early as next week, although they will not be available to the public until next month. While we are all very excited, rumor has it that _**the **_**Eleanor Waldorf (Founder and Designer of Waldorf designs) has relocated her and her family to our very own U.E.S. Rumor has it, that her offspring will be attending Constance for senior year. If she is half as gorgeous as Waldorf's creations, it looks like she will be taking this place by storm. Things were getting a little boring around here. I wonder what damage she'll cause. So saddle up little ones and girls, guard your men.**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

Blair Waldorf sat on the edge of her seat, looking prim and proper in her cream white halter top summer dress. Complete with a thick, pink belt that hugged her stomach in a way that showed off her curves. A green and pink floral head band had been fastened in her perfect, cascading chocolate curls and green peep-toed shoes doted her pristine, pink toe nails. Listening to a pre-selected Lady Gaga play-list, she closed her eyes and mentally started counting down the seconds until the plane was set to land safely on the ground.

Blair had never really been one for commercial flying. I mean, why put yourself thousands of miles up in the air with people that far below you? And yet, here she was, about to land in New York of all places. Her mother had decided to transfer here and Blair couldn't be any more distraught. She hated Americans. While she was American herself, she grew up in France and would kill herself before she was ever considered as one. In her eyes, all Americas were arrogant, filthy, drunken bastards that, most of the time, happened to be morbidly obese. Not only was she going to have to associate with these _creatures_, she was going to have to attend school and make friends with them. Her life as she knew it was over.

Not to mention she had a slight fear of heights. Not that she would ever admit it out loud. She would rather die than have someone consider her weak. She was a Waldorf, Waldorf's were anything but weak.

With that last thought, her plane skidded onto the runway. Taking a deep breath, bracing herself for the monumental change that was bound to occur. The Waldorf Heiress officially stepped into the scandalous life style of the Upper East Side.

* * *

Chuck Bass sat behind his desk at Bass Industries, stretching out lazily with a grin set upon his face. For the first time in his life, Chuck was actually looking forward to school come Monday. He had it all planned out. He would go to school, use his free period to hold his conference calls, and after school, head off to be CEO of Bass Industries. Life couldn't be sweeter at the moment. Well, maybe it could be a little more _fulfilling, _he mused silently.

He was debating which bar to go to after work to _relieve_ some stress when his blackberry beeped signaling an incoming update.

**Gossip Girl here and with a picture of the stunning Waldorf heiress herself. If her personality is anything like her looks, then it **_**looks **_**like Queen J better watch her back…and her throne. Only time will tell what she has in store for us. I for one am dying to find out. I'm sure all of the guys are as well. What do you think C? Conquest worthy? Oh and scratch what I said about holding on to your men, girls. From what I can see, you won't have a choice.**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

Chuck smirked when his caught his name. Of course Gossip Girl would measure the girl by his standards! Most of the Upper East Side did. When he hit the attached file button, his breath caught in his throat. There she was, stepping off the plane. He paused, wondering if he had ever seen anything more beautiful in his life. She had on huge cream sunglasses and a very conservative dress that stopped at her knees. Her long, porcelain, toned legs went on forever. She was small, no taller than 5'2. The woman in the photo was petite and skinny, but not disgustingly so. She had curves in all of the right places and she obviously knew her way around high end fashion. She reminded him of a little China doll, the epitome of perfection. There was something about the way her long dark curls tumbled down her back that made his hands twitch. _Yes_, was all he could think. _Yes, she was _very _conquest worthy_.

He hit the end button on his phone, only to press speed dial two immediately afterward. Holding the phone to his ear, he paced back and forth, waiting for an answer. The person picked up after the second ring, _thankfully_.

"Yes Mr. Bass?" the man stated nervously.

He wasted no time in answering the man.

"Robert, get me everything you can on the daughter of Eleanor Waldorf."

With that, he hung up the phone. Maybe he could use a new personal assistant. Chuck smirked, mentally mapping out his brilliant plan. He would give it a week, tops, before she was rumbling around naked in_ his_ sheets.

The next morning at Bass Industries, nothing could wipe the devilish smirk of the young heirs face. He was pretty damn proud of himself, with good reason. This time, Chuck aiming to be ahead of the game had actually worked. He often manipulated people to get what he wanted. Skillfully, he had Jenny, his secretary, set up a meeting with Mrs. Waldorf. From there, he had offered to invest money in her company with no strings attached. Well, there was one condition, not that she paid it much attention. He simply mentioned to her that he was looking for a personal assistant, planting the idea in her head. Almost immediately, she offered her daughter's services as gratitude. She had stated that _Blair_ loved to organize things. He had set up an interview with the lovely young woman at four pm between his meetings.

He checked his watch again for what seemed like the sixth time that hour. Ten minutes. His PI had reported back to him thirty minutes earlier with less than satisfying results. Blair Cornelia Waldorf, daughter of Eleanor and Harold Waldorf. The rest of the information he had received had been useless. The girl was spotless. Not a single thing was out of place. She had attended a prestigious private school in France, had been on the honor roll during her entire academic career, and had a perfect attendance record. In fact, if the girl hadn't been in and out of hospitals and seeing therapists more often than most cancer patients do, she would have seemed quite dull. She had been the queen of her school though, he was sure of it. If she was anything like Jenny, he might have fun with this little game, although he had made it a point to never bed Jenny. The blonde self proclaimed virgin threw herself at him ever chance she got, making her seem desperate. It was quite annoying to say the least. It was much more satisfying to him, if he had to work for it. The thrill of the chase made the end result that much more gratifying. Not to mention, Jenny wasn't as physically attractive as Blair was. After all, he couldn't _wait_ to tarnish her perfect record. Checking his phone again, he realized that she would be here any minute. he scoffed at himself for feeling anxious, Chuck Bass didn't do anxious.

* * *

Blair woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed after the worst night's sleep in years, having had quite possibly, the worst nightmare _ever_. That was until she opened her eyes and realized that it had not been one of her night-terrors. She was, in fact, still in hell. She spent the morning mourning her former life.

After grabbing a light breakfast of fruit and yogurt, Dorota, her house maid, gave her a walk through of the days itinerary. Eleanor had already left for the day. Her mother had to meet with the representatives from Saks, file the required paper work to enroll Blair into Constance, and sign off on all of the original pieces the were being altered for _next_ season. Blair's schedule was a lot less hectic. The only thing she had was an unwanted interview with Mr. Bass of Bass Industries at four pm. Her mother had even laid out an outfit for her to wear to meet with him._ It was a dress from the upcoming line_, she noted, mentally rolling her eyes. While she was not ecstatic about getting a job, Dorota insisted that her mother had demanded it. That she would learn from the experience, promising that she would have fun and that the boss was a "hottie". Her mother had been so taken with him, that she invited him to dinner Friday night.

Blair got ready in silence, showering and brushing out her curls, making sure she was perfect. She slipped into the purple, knee-high dress that hugged her body in all the right places. It was conservative yet high fashion. She matched it with a cream colored headband, pearls, and matching pair of cream, open-toed, slip-on heels with little purple bows. When she was sure she looked immaculate and her makeup was above average, stepped into the elevator.

Breezing onto the street, she slid on her huge, cream Dolce and Gabana sunglasses. Calling for her driver, she waited until her town car came around. Sliding onto the leather seats, she closed her eyes and prayed to god for a miracle.

* * *

The door to his office opened at four o'clock on the dot. _She's nothing if not punctual,_ he mused. He seriously wondered if the girl had ever been late for anything.

"Mr. Bass, a Miss Waldorf's here to see you," Jenny announced, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Show her in," he stated coldly, his bright eyes threatening his overly obsessive secretary.

Blair side stepped Jenny, effectively breaking the glaring contest that had begun the moment she had arrived. Really! She had no idea what this young girl's problem with her was, but she didn't take nicely to being disrespected. She'd play her game, but she _always_ won. Maneuvering herself in front of the blonde, she took off her sunglasses, glanced over her shoulder and gave one last heated glare before whispering _sorry_ in a sickly, sweet way that said she was obviously anything but.

As chuck watched the exchange, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Quickly covered by pretending to clear his throat. Standing up as Blair walked in, dismissing his secretary all together. Blair had clearly won the minor battle. He waited until Jenny closed the door behind her with a look of outrage marring her features, before he stuck out his hand.

"Chuck Bass," he stated, introducing himself politely. He let his eyes roam over the small, beautiful woman before him. A smirk gracing his lips at her taste in attire, that just so happened to match his cream suit pants and purple ascot.

Reluctantly, she took his hand, giving him a once over. Blushing at the same realization over their choice of wardrobe. As much as she hated to admit it, her mom had been right. The boss was gorgeous – the very _young _boss. His dark brown hair, emerald green eyes, and perfect completion were… O_h my God! What was she doing? Checking out her potential boss, let alone her mother's dinner date!_

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Bass. I'm Blair Waldorf," she responded, faking a smile.

"Don't mind Jenny. She's a little…infatuated with me," Chuck admitted, sitting down. "Please take a seat."

She took the seat in front of him, looking over her shoulder at the door. Infatuated, huh?_That may have to be dealt_ _with._ A small smirk spread across her lips, as her mind entertained thoughts of tearing that tiny girl to shreds, limb by limb.

"Something amusing Miss Waldorf?" he questioned curiously.

She looked at him, trying and failing miserably to wipe the smile off her face. "Not at all. Mr. Bass, was it?"

He knew he had missed something, but decided to let it slide.

"Yes. I am sure Eleanor has spoken to you about why you are here?" he assumed. The reminder of her mother did it. The quirk of her lips dropped almost instantly. wiping away any trace of humor.

"Yes. She mentioned that you are in need of a new P.A. and while I would love to help you, I am in no way qualified for the job," she admitted, her dark orbs lowered in faux sorrow.

Honestly she just didn't want a job and if she did, it defiantly wouldn't be here.

He picked up the lie, internally smirking to himself in amusement. "Well, I guess you'll just have to learn."

She rolled her eyes as he went to pour himself a drink, but he caught it. "So, Blair, tell me about yourself. Any criminal records? History of drug abuse? Or boyfriends that I should be aware of?" he inquired slyly, emphasizing the word _boyfriends._

"No," she answered flatly.

"To which question?" he instigated.

"All of them." She stopped before continuing. "I have no criminal background. I am from France, not a zoo. I am not a strung out druggy that spends the day looking for my next fix and I don't have nor need a boyfriend, not the it's any of your business," she finished, looking directly in his eyes.

He stared at her intently, silently shocked that she had called him out. Most girls would be swooning over him and here she was, not even a little bit interested.

"Despite what you might believe, if you were my employee it would be my business."

He lowered his voice seductively, his eyes locked into hers.

"Before I hire you, I want to make it clear that there are certain _conditions _to the job," Chuck drawled out smoothly.

"And what would those be?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"You would have to follow me around after school, keep track of all of my appointments, answer _all_ of my calls, and take care of any _personal _matters that may need attending to."

"Mr. Bass, your sexual innuendos are highly unprofessional and with that said, I think I'll pass," she huffed indignantly, obviously offended.

She stood up, but as she turned to leave, he stopped her.

"You're hired. I suggest that the first appointment you jot down be the one where we have dinner at your place on Friday a seven."

She was feisty, he liked that.

"You mean to say you and my mother," she corrected, her voice patronizing.

"On the contrary Waldorf, it's dinner with you. Your mother will just be _there_. Sorry to disappoint princess," he smirked.

Blair huffed and went to open the door, muttering curses at him under her breath.

He smiled. "Have a good day Waldorf. See you Friday."

"Goodbye Bass," she returned, faking enthusiasm, saying "Can't wait!" with the underlying message that she would rather drop dead.

With that, she took her leave, smiling at Jenny on the way out. Chuck Bass was everything she hated about Americans, except he wasn't morbidly obese. No, his shirt fit perfectly against his… _Oh god! What was she thinking?_ She hated him already.

_Yes, Blair Waldorf was a worthy conquest,_ Chuck thought to himself as he watched her hips sway out of his office. _Beautiful, intense brown eyes, perfect, chocolate curls…What was wrong with him? He obviously needed to get that drink and maybe find a brunette girl at the bar. Any of the girls would do, in the end they were all the same. Desperate, gold digging, or his personal favorite, slutty social climbers._

**Gossip Girl here, to announce that a certain IT girl (Blair Waldorf) was last spotted leaving none other than Bass Inc. I heard that she and Jenny are already fighting over C, not that that matters. Obviously C sees her as worthy, where as we all know he hasn't touched our not-so-beloved queen. I wonder why? I was informed that the girl gives her a run for her money. Any one got any dirt on the new girl? We're all waiting to see what she's made of. You know you love me.**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

**A/N:** First I would like to say thank you to my amazing friend enunciiate for being my beta.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for the ones you've never heard of. I also do not own any of the songs that are used for this story. This is just a story that popped into my head. I have a few chapters outlined so review to let me know what you think.

The story is named after the song "**A walk through hell**" by Say Anything, and the chapter is named after "**Reptilia**" by The Strokes. It helps if you know the song, but not necessary.

The way I picture Chuck for this story: http: . /_ 9KqaGwLTV34/SIWFK McS3YI/AAAAAAAAA3I/ 2Ynmo3DM8EY/ s400/chuck%2Bbass %

Remove spaces. (reason he has green eyes). In the picture Ed is dressed as Chuck with green eyes.


	2. Don't trust me

The following evening, Blair sat at the bar in the Palace. Staring into her half-empty martini glass, as she pretended to listen to the guy sitting next to her talk about some boring hockey game. She was beginning to wonder how this day could get any worse.

* * *

"Blair," her mother called, staring at her daughters sleeping form in disapproval "Blair dear, wake up. It's almost ten o'clock. Do you plan to waste a perfectly good day in bed with your melodramatics or are you going to get up and explore the city for a bit?"

Blair sat up grumpily, sliding off her night mask to look at her mom. "Good morning to you too mother. What did you have in mind?" she questioned sarcastically.

Her mother pursed her lips in disappointment and fixed her with a pointed stare, choosing to ignore her daughters sarcasm.

"Surely you don't think I have time to show you around?" her mother mused as the brunette out of bed. She watched her her daughter walk around the room, grabbing items for a shower before continuing. "I have spoken to Mrs. Bradshaw. Her son Christopher will be showing you around for the day. He should be here within the next hour, so I recommend that you be ready by then."

"Yes mother," Blair replied, stepping into the bathroom to get ready.

Eleanor turned to leave.

"Oh and Blair?"

"Yes mother?" she sighed, expecting criticism sure to follow.

"Be nice dear and look pretty. Christopher goes to school with you, so be sure to find out who you should be associating yourself with. He should fill you in on all the details."

She walked out of the room without waiting for a reply.

* * *

Blair was ready when he arrived. She had chosen to dress casually. Well, as casual as Blair Waldorf could manage. She picked out a pair of tight dark wash skinny jeans, a green and white, floral summer tank, white open-toed heels, and a white headband. She matched it with a set of pearls and checked herself out in the mirror. After grabbing her Fendi bag and her phone, she walked downstairs to meet him. He was attractive enough; with his sandy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and perfect build, but as the day wore on, not even his looks could keep her interested. It's not that he wasn't nice. He was a really sweet guy, at least from what she could tell. After an hour of his company, she wanted to rip her hair out. All he talked about was field hockey, how he was the captain, how every girl wanted him, and what-not. Boring! Why would she care about field hockey? A bunch of dirty boys showering together and wearing jock straps? No thanks!

They had done _everything_. He had shown her the school, told her about the social crowd, taken her to lunch, and shown her a lot of the sites. She had even tried to get him to go shopping with her, but he said that that was where he drew the line. Since she didn't feel like shopping alone, she had reluctantly agreed to go for drinks. She really did need a girlfriend to go out with.

As she was mentally moving finding a girlfriend to the top of her list, she was snapped out of her self-pity party by a very confused looking Christopher.

"Blair?" he asked, waving a hand at her. "Did you hear anything I said?"

Faking a smile, she turned toward him.

"Yeah, that's awesome!" she replied, feigning interest.

She hoped that he would buy her lie, not that she really cared. She just didn't feel like losing the _only_ semi-friend she had. He obviously fell for it because he went right back to telling her about the look on some kid's face when he got hit in the groin. Blair started to look around the bar while pretending to actually _listen_ to his _fascinating_ story. It was all she could do to stop her eyes from rolling at his failed attempts to impress her. As she continued to look around, her eyes caught sight of a beautiful blonde couple smiling idiotically at each other while walking her direction.

"Who's that?" she questioned her friend, who was clearly caught off guard with the change of subject. Following her eyes, he frowned as he noticed the two blondes she was talking about.

"Serena van der Woodsen and Nathaniel Archibald. They've been looking at each other like that for a year now. It gets quite annoying actually," he stated, turning his attention back to her.

"I think it's cute," Blair admitted, breaking her gaze on the couple to look at him.

"Well, I mean, yeah! If you're into that kind of thing," he teased, shrugging his shoulders and earning a giggle from Blair.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt, but are these seats taken?" a male voice asked.

Blair turned around to come face to face with the blondes.

With a warm smile gracing her lips for the first time since she had landed, she responded kindly, "Not at all. Take a seat."

When Blair turned around, Serena immediately recognized her from the Gossip Girl blasts.

"Oh my god!" she gasped. "You're the new girl! You're Eleanor Waldorf's daughter!"

"How do you know my mother?" Blair inquired, nervous and shocked that this girl would know her.

Serena just laughed it off, sitting down beside her. Nate followed her movements.

"It's not your mother that I know," she admitted. "It's you! Everyone has been talking about you since you got here. We will all be going to school together."

Upon hearing the blonde girls statement, Blair couldn't help the look of confusion that settled over her facial features. What did she mean when she said that everyone was talking about her? She had only met a handful of people so far. How could they possibly know who she was?

After a few seconds of silence, Serena realized that the girl probably had no idea what she was talking about. She decided to speak up, but before she could, someone answered Blair for her.

"Gossip Girl," the blonde man stated simply.

Looking over at Blair, he stuck out his hand for her to take.

"Nate Archibald," he smiled.

He motioned towards Serena.

"Serena van der Woodsen, My overexcited girlfriend here, has yet to shut up about you since we got the first blast," he added in a teasing tone.

Blair laughed at the offended look on Serena's face before she offered, "Blair Waldorf. It's nice to meet you."

Serena looked over at Nate, glaring at him playfully while clarifying, "In my defense, all the people here are boring, not to mention I only have you and Chuck to hang out with. It will be nice having a girl around for a change."

Christopher tensed when he heard Chuck's name. Needing an escape, he looked at Blair. "Please excuse me. I'm going to step outside for some fresh air," he apologized with a warm smile.

Blair glanced a him and nodded, telling him he was excused for the moment.

Nate picked the conversation right back up. "Anyway Blair, Gossip Girl is a notorious blogger that likes to follow everyone she deems important enough around. There's nothing that you can do that she won't blog about."

"And everyone is subscribed to her blog through their phone, so anytime she updates, the scandals go straight to our phones," Serena added helpfully.

"That's how we knew you were coming. She's been posting about you ever since you stepped off the plane," Nate concluded.

Blair sat in thought for a second. That was genius! Scandals through texts! Then, she started to wonder _why no one had done anything to stop this girl? surely she had made a lot of enemies._

"Isn't that dangerous? Has she ever been beat up or anything?" Blair voiced her concerns.

They both just laughed, confusing Blair even more. _odd._

"No one knows who she is," Serena informed her.

"Has anyone tried to find out?" Blair asked.

"We've tried everything to figure out who she is," the blonde girl admitted.

Nate started chucking. Both girls quickly turned to see him doubled over in laughter. When he finally calmed down enough to speak, he looked at Serena.

"Do you remember that time Chuck was convinced that every girl he had sex with was Gossip Girl? He went through all of their phones while they were sleeping!" he exclaimed.

Serena burst out laughing with him. "Oh yeah! We had to pull an intervention so he wouldn't seem like a creepy stalker if one of the girls woke up. Then, a week later, she posted that she had never slept with him and that he looked like the world's biggest idiot," she continued for him.

"Yeah and all the girls ...found out he had gone through their phones... anyway," Nate finished.

Blair obviously missed something. She felt like an outcast at the memory, since she was absolutely clueless as to what they were talking about.

"Chuck who?" she wondered out loud.

"Chuck Bass. Our best friend," Nate answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Blair froze. What? How was her boss these high school kids' best friend?

"Chuck Bass!" Blair exclaimed, both blonde's snapping toward her curiously for her outburst.

As if he knew they were talking about him, the devil appeared from behind her.

"Screaming my name so soon?" he drawled, smirk in place. He looked her up and down before focusing on the two in front of her. "Nathaniel. Sis." He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Chuck," they stated in union.

"Ew! Serena, you're related to him?" Blair questioned with a disgusted face.

"Step-brother," she directed at Blair. Shifting toward Nate, she added, "And Nate honey, just because we share everything doesn't mean we share each others taste in best friends."

"I'd like to share a _taste_ of best friends," Chuck mused, leering at Blair and making her shift uncomfortably.

"Why are you here? Is it to torture me or are you stalking me? I was under the impression we wouldn't be meeting again until Monday afternoon," she inquired.

Nate and Serena just sat there, listening to there friend's conversation with interest.

"Actually Waldorf, I was about to ask you the same question, considering this is my hotel and I live here." Chuck reveled in watching her face drop. "As far as Monday goes, I will see you before noon, since we do attend the same school and all." He let the last sentence drag out for her to understand fully that he would be everywhere.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Blair fumed. "My boss is still in high school?"

_This night just got worse,_ she noted mentally.

"You work for Bass?" the duo questioned in union.

"Yes, she is my _personal _assistant," he drawled slyly.

Serena glanced at Chuck before keeping her eyes on Blair. She didn't fail to notice the way Chuck looked at Blair – like a predator hunting its prey. She couldn't let that happen, not when she was just now starting to like someone. She couldn't let Chuck mess this up.

"Drop it Bass," Blair scolded. Throwing him a quick glare, she focused on Serena. Letting out a defeated sigh, she admitted, "It was my mom's idea. She said it would help me learn responsibility and that it was non-negotiable."

"Blair, you really shouldn't talk to the boss that way. It could cost your mom funding for her company." Chuck threatened lightly, attempting to sound like a stern business man.

"Hey Chuck, man. I was about to go smoke. Care to join?" Nate interrupted, feeling like it was getting a little too tense even for him.

"Yeah Nate. That's a good idea," Serena agreed, wishing she could push them out the door herself.

Chuck opened his mouth to say something, but Blair interrupted.

"You know what? It was really great to meet you two, but it's getting late. I should probably find Chris and head home."

Chuck smirked at the reminder of the little boyfriend that she had lied about having.

"Oh I probably should have mentioned that I ran into your boy toy on the way in. He mentioned something about not feeling well and said he was going to call it an early night. He would have come in to get you, but I told him not to worry about it," Chuck said, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"You had no right to do that!" Blair raised her voice at him.

"You had no right to lie to me about it!" Chuck bit out, matching her tone before dropping it to ice cold. "Besides, I did you a favor. A few hours with that guy would have had you rubbing your eyes out."

"I don't know my way home you asshole," she seethed.

The nerve of this guy really! Not only did she get stuck going to school with him, have to work with him, and share _her_ new friends (_yes, her friends_), but now, she had to deal with him controlling who she could and could not see! This was ridiculous!

Chuck laughed internally at her enraged state. This was going to be more worthwhile than had originally planned.

"I can take you home. My limo's just around the corner," he offered, knowing she had no choice.

Serena stepped in. She couldn't let him near Blair.

"You know what? You go head with Nate, Chuck. I've got Blair. No need to worry. We'll be fine. We have girl-talk to attend to anyway."

Damn! Chuck silently cursed his beautiful, blonde sister. He didn't see that one coming. He couldn't reject the offer. He would just look desperate. Although if Blair and Serena became friends, maybe that would mean slumber parties…He didn't have time to fantasize exactly what those would consist of because it was obvious they were waiting for his reply.

"Of course. Nathaniel and I will be in the room when you get back. You can take my limo," he encouraged, thinking it best to play the concerned big brother role. "Just don't stay out too late," he added in warning.

Serena giggled at his game, but was silently shocked that he let her use his limo. He usually made her take a cab. She gave Nate a quick peck on the lips before locking her arm around Blair's and heading for the entrance.

"It was nice to meet you Nate," Blair called over her shoulder.

"You too Blair. Take care of my girlfriend," he responded.

"Have a goodnight Waldorf," Chuck mused.

"I will," she answered smiling.

Both boys assumed she was talking to them as they watched the two stunning girls exit the building before heading upstairs.

**I know it's late or early for some of us, but it turns out the new girl has a name and it starts with a capital bitch. Blair Waldorf was seen spending her Saturday night at the Palace bar, except she wasn't alone. Looks like B made some friends. She was spotted arm in arm with our very own Serena van der Woodsen, leaving two boys longing after their retreating forms. Who are the boys you might ask? None other than N and C of course! Now, while we're used to that face on N, what does C have to be longing for? He could have any girl he wants. Well, almost any girl. Interesting crowd B…Rallying allies? With C around you'd better watch your back…and your front. You know you love me.**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

* * *

**A/N: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)**

OK wow! I was so overwhelmed with the responses I got from the first chapter. Thank you! I really love hearing your thoughts. I responded to as many reviews as I could, if I didn't get to you I'm sorry. My computer is super slow and my charger doesn't seem to want to work all the time. I am writing chapter 4 now, chapter 3 is with my beta ( thank you enunciiate), the next few chapters are longer, this chapter was short because it basically just Blair meeting Serena and Nate. I hope to post an update by Sunday, if I get chapter 3 back before then I will post sooner.

"Don't trust me" -3Oh3

**Sexwick:** Jenny is a senior like the rest of them, in my story she has a late birthday so she is still younger.

Thanks you guys! I hope you guys liked it, and I hope you continue to R&R :)

-Khrys


	3. I want you

Sunday was over before Blair even knew it. It was Monday, her first day of school and unfortunately, work. She tried to push the last thought out of her head. She had had a great weekend, aside from seeing the devil Saturday night. _Although it made since that hell had a devil._ After she had left the bar, she and Serena had stepped into the lavish limo Chuck had thoughtfully provided, not that he didn't owe her after the little stunt he pulled with Christopher. She should have given him the verbal assaulting of a lifetime. The brunette and the blond quickly dove into conversation about school, fashion, and boys. After setting her up to receive Gossip Girl updates, the two girls switched phone numbers and agreed to have lunch together the following day, followed by an exhausting shopping trip.

Blair had learned quite a bit about her new life in New York, including her arrogant, self absorbed ass of a boss. She was informed that he was the wealthiest playboy on the Upper East Side. His escapades were legendary and every girl wanted him on a whim that they could be the one to tame the bad boy, not that she could see that happening since Serena mentioned that he never slept with the same girl twice. Personally, she couldn't see why someone would have sex without love, let alone treat their sex partners like Kleenex. That was the main reason Blair was still a virgin. All guys wanted at this age was sex and she wasn't ready to give it up to just anybody.

To say Serena was shocked when she let the secret spill from her lips was an understatement. Apparently her new best friend had gotten around quite a bit before finally settling down with Nate. Although they were an adorable couple, Blair could now see where Chris was coming from in his previous statement concerning the duo.

She had let herself reminisce over her weekend until she was almost finished getting ready. After she scrutinized herself in the mirror, she decided that the uniform that she was obligated to wear did not meet her standards. She settled for adding her own style to the navy skirt and white button down. She slid on her red couture flats, a red headband with gold accents to complement her curly locks, and a simple gold chain around her neck, complete with a ruby and diamond-studded heart pendant. She checked her lip gloss once more, grabbed her purse from where it sat on her vanity, and headed out the door.

* * *

Chuck woke up early that morning, eager to get to school for the first time in…well…ever. He couldn't wait to put his plan into phase one: be unavoidable. The brunette boy quickly slipped into his beige slacks, white button down and navy blazer, not that he had a choice in his apparel. He finished the outfit with his signature scarf and his red Ray Ban sun glasses. All thoughts were of a skinny, dark haired beauty as he left his room to seek out Serena downstairs for breakfast.

When he got downstairs, he tried to avoid his sister's questioning gaze, while he fixed himself a glass of orange juice to go along with the breakfast already laid out for him.

"You're up early Chuck," the blond pointed out, giving him a knowing glance as she buttered her toast.

"Couldn't sleep is all," he lied, taking the seat opposite of her. "Maybe I shouldn't have drank so much last night."

"Uh huh…So, your restlessness has nothing to do with a cute little brunette friend of mine?" Serena inquired, cocking her head to the side to get a better look.

Chuck snorted at this assumption even if she was hitting the nail on the head.

"You know there is no female in the world with the ability to hold my attention for longer than a few hours with the exception of you of course, but that is completely different situation," he covered smoothly. He stared at his plate contemplating what to eat first before settling on the eggs.

"Really? Huh…So, what's with the letting me use your limo unattended to take said female home the other night?" She pushed further as she bit into her food.

"You were hardly unattended. Arthur was there. I just didn't want you taking a cab that late at night," he drawled, taking a moment to glance at her.

"Why not? You usually have no problem with it?" she questioned, eyeing him skeptically. Laying down her fork, she sighed for dramatic effect. "And spare me the big brother act. It's getting old."

"Can't a guy just do something nice for his beloved sister?" He pretended to be hurt from her lack of trust in him.

"A guy can. Yes. However, you, Chuck Bass, cannot. You can't do a good deed unless it's somehow beneficial to you," Serena answered honestly. She resumed eating.

"Relax dear sister of mine. I don't want your new little friend. Besides, I was thinking of ordering take out tonight," he replied slyly. He smirked at her as he took a sip of his orange juice.

"Gross Chuck! We should get going," she mumbled as she tried to resist the urge to gag.

Getting up from the table, Serena and Chuck left their half eaten meals for the help to clean up later, grabbing their things for school before they headed for the elevator. Once inside, Serena decided to break the silence between them, giving her final opinion on the matter.

"Just so you know, I know what you're doing." She pressed the button for the ground floor as she kept her eyes in front of her.

She had caught Chuck off guard with her sudden statement. He opened his mouth to deny whatever it was he was being accused of, but she continued without giving him a chance to speak.

"You picked Blair as a conquest and invested money into her mother's company so you could hold it over her head. Don't bother to deny it. Although I am impressed with your commitment to be an egotistical slut, I have to say. I don't think your little games are going to work on her," she warned as the doors opened to reveal her blond boyfriend. She was out of the confined space and into Nate's arms before Chuck even had a chance to wrap his head around what had just happened.

* * *

Blair sat alone at a small table in the courtyard. Everyone had been staring at her since she had arrived. She would usually find this flattering, but today, she just found it rather irritating considering she was being judged. She was reading The Great Gatsby when a figure towered over her.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a bored tone, not bothering to look up from the page.

"Actually, you can. You can explain to me what you were doing with Chuck at the Palace on Saturday," a girl answered.

She had expected it to be some boy that had come to hit on her or worse Chuck. So, when she reluctantly put down her book to look up at the intruder, she was surprised to find Jenny standing in front of her with a group of giggling girls behind her. Blair decided that she would play the girl's game. She put on her mask and gave her a once over before responding.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we were out on a date," she announced confidently, cringing inwardly at the thought of being stuck on a date with Chuck.

Everyone in the courtyard had been at attention since Jenny had arrived at Blair's table. They were silent as they waited for their queen to speak.

"Nice try, but Chuck doesn't date," Jenny scoffed knowingly. She laughed at the thought.

"Is that so?" Blair questioned the tiny blond before her. She calculated her next move.

All of Jenny's girls nodded in agreement.

The brunette shrugged her shoulders before asking, "Then I suppose he made an exception, wouldn't you agree?"

She smirked as she watched Jenny's face fall into a scowl.

"I don't know who you think you are or what game you're playing, but let me make it clear when I say stay away from Chuck," the little blond snapped.

"Did you ever stop to consider the fact that maybe it's your boy that can't stay away from me?" Blair argued as she raised her eyebrow at the girl, challenging her, amusement clearly displayed on her face.

"He only wants one thing from you. Don't be naive enough to think that you're any different," Jenny fumed.

"Maybe I should be saying the same thing to you little J. I'm sure everyone knows how hard you try to sleep with your boss. It just goes to show you that even man-whores have standards," Blair returned with out missing a beat.

The new nickname did not go unnoticed by the blond.

"It's Queen J, not that I would expect you to know the difference and I don't try to sleep with my boss." She frowned.

"Oh please. I've seen the way you look at him and the way you get jealous of other girls. You standing here telling me to stay away is proof enough," Blair stated smugly.

"I don't have to explain my actions to you. I'm the queen. You do as I say. No questions asked or there will be consequences," the blond defended herself.

"How mature. If you're going to pull out empty threats _little J_, then I suggest you watch your back," Blair warned as everyone around them gasped. It was then that she noticed her two friends and the subject of the current conversation standing in the background looking at each others shocked expressions.

Jenny stood there speechless trying to think of a comeback and level the playing grounds as the brunette stood up to grab her items.

"Oh look. There's Chuck!" Blair pointed out to the smaller girl. She feigned excitement. "I guess I should get going. It was nice talking to you." She smiled and started to walk away in her victory before turning around to deliver her final blow.

"Oh and next time you attempt to wear one of my mother's creations, I suggest you don't pick one from two seasons ago that was designed for me. Besides, yellow really isn't your color," she advised sweetly. She resumed her path towards her friends.

"This is not over," Jenny mumbled under her breath, boring her eyes into Blair's retreating form. Blair was going to pay for disrespecting her.

**Looks like B is fit, making friends as well as enemies. We all watched our queen get knocked down a notched today and I have to agree with B. Little suits you better J. Word is the dispute between the two hotties was over C. Where was he when this all went down? Standing in the background of course with N and S, all three of them looking like they witnessed the apocalypse. B was victorious today, but I feel like it's going to be a fight to the death. Whose side are you on? J's or B's? I have to say Queen B does have a nice ring to it. Don't get so comfortable little J. From the looks of it, you don't have what it takes against the new girl. You know you love me.**

**xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**

Blair had made her way to the courtyard where Serena had told her to meet them for lunch. She had barley had time to mutter a quick good morning before the bell rang, signaling class. The boys had walked off towards their building without Chuck even saying one word to her. She hadn't really known what to say to him anyway given that he had overheard everything she had said about him. She was slightly embarrassed at her own behavior for making up such a lie. Jenny had yet to call her out on it, so she assumed the girl hadn't had a chance to ask him about it. She didn't even know what she would even say back if she was called out. Blair continued her way through the crowd of people, planning her strategy as she ran into a hard body, literally, dropping her books. He turned around to help pick up her items off the ground.

"Sorry miss!" He looked up to apologize.

"It's alright. It was my fault. I should have been paying attention," she assured him with her eyes still on the ground.

"Blair?" Chris guessed as he tried to get a better look.

Her head snapped up at her name to come face to face with her ditcher.

"Chris," she replied, standing back up to adjust her clothing.

"About the other night, I didn't mean to run out on you like that.." he began

"Don't worry about it. Serena gave me a ride. Everything worked out and I found my way home. It's no big deal." She waved off his attempt at an explanation.

"Still though, I felt bad about it. I didn't have your number to call and apologize," the gorgeous blond reasoned as he handed her her books. He noted the way her skirt fell right above her knees and the way her ivory legs seemed to be never ending.

"Well, you can have it now." Blair smiled as she stuck her hand out to receive his cell phone.

"Anyway, in case you haven't noticed, Chuck and I don't really get along, which is why he asked me to leave," he told her as he watched her type on his phone before handing it back to him.

"I figured as much." She rolled her eyes at how annoying Chuck's antics had become.

"Yeah, but now that I have your number, I'll give you a call? Maybe we can go to lunch or something this week?" Chris smiled hopefully.

"Sure, that sounds great. Listen, I should to get going. Just give me a call and we can sort of the details," she responded. She had remembered the temporarily forgotten people that were waiting for her.

"I will. Have a good day Blair," he said, returning to his friends and leaving Blair to search for hers.

* * *

Chuck scowled at a table in the corner of the courtyard that he shared with his best friend and sister. He had watched the entire conversation between Christopher and Blair. She looked amazing in her school uniform with her red flats and headband. He had noticed Chris checking her out, which only served to piss him off even more. It's not that he was jealous. No, Chuck Bass definitely does not do jealous. He was just pissed off that the guy would try to move in on something that he already had in sight. He couldn't tell what they were saying, but the genuine smile on her face told him all he needed to know. He hated him.

He hadn't even gotten the chance to speak to Blair about her run in with Jenny yet and this guy was wasting time that she could have been spending with him. He needed Blair to know that he wasn't mad at her for pulling the dating card, although he should have been furious. Something like that could shoot his reputation to hell. Then all the girls would think he was off limits! Now that he thought about it…that wasn't a bad idea. This could be an opportunity for everyone to see that no one, not even Blair Waldorf, could tame him. He might have found her attractive, but there was nothing a one-night stand couldn't change. He could go right back to being the way he normally was after. Nothing would stand in his way, not Chris or anybody else. Chuck always got what he wanted and right now, he wanted Blair Waldorf.

"Is that a normal look for him?" Blair questioned the happy couple.

She took a seat beside him, her proximity stopping his thoughts.

"Um…Yeah. Only when he keeps thinking about something that's making him mad," Nate answered. He looked over at chuck, one arm tightly wrapped around his girlfriend's waist.

"In other words when he dwells," she teased. She sent Blair a smile as she leaned into his touch.

Blair reached her hand out to Chuck's shoulder. He tensed under her touch before he shrugging her off.

"I'm fine. In fact, never been better," Chuck spat. He raised his eyes to meet hers. They were cold and hard, daring her to challenge his statement.

"You don't look fine to me," the brunette pointed out, raising an eyebrow, unaffected by his cruel demeanor.

"Well, nobody asked you," he snapped, glaring at her. He had no idea why he was so angry with her all of a sudden. He just knew that he was and that he couldn't rid the feeling.

"Did I miss something?" she asked the group, confused as to what would put him in such a state. She had only met him a few times, but she definitely got that this was not considered normal behavior.

Serena and Nate took a break from feeding each other to shrug. Chuck, however, remained silent.

"Are you mad about this morning? I mean, you can tell Jenny I lied. You don't have to sit here and throw a fit about it," Blair replied haughtily.

"No Blair. Just drop it!" he warned.

Her face fell, taken back at his tone, but she quickly hid it. _What the hell was his problem?_

Everyone sat in silence for a minute before Serena decided she had had enough of Chuck's mood swings.

"Hey B, I'm going to head to the library. You want to come?" the blonde suggested, gathering her belongings.

"Yeah, we have next period together anyway. I might as well," Blair obliged, wanting to escape from the awkward situation.

The girls continued to collect their things in the silence that had settled around them again. After kissing Nate good bye with the promise of seeing him after school, both girls headed back towards their building.

"What was that about?" Nate gave him a questioning look.

Chuck sighed, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He explained everything to his friend as they walked over to their spot. He pulled a rolled joint out of his blazer, lit it, and took a few puffs before he handed it off. Really. He had no idea why he had blown up at Blair. He was just frustrated with the situation. He didn't like the way that Chris had looked at her. He was trying to bed her. He didn't like that someone else was trying to steal her away. It's not that he liked her. He just didn't want anyone touching her until he had his turn. He was like a little kid in a lot of ways. He did not share.

"So, you're jealous?" Nate asked. He passed the half-smoked joint back when his friend had finished telling his story.

"No, I am not _jealous_ Nathaniel. Jealousy is an emotion that I am incapable of feeling," Chuck bragged as he took it in his hands once more.

"Then you like her?" Nate questioned, starting to get lost again.

"No, I didn't say that. Were you even listening to me? Liking someone is a lot like jealousy. It's an emotion I am incapable of feeling." He spoke as if he was talking to a child.

"Prove it," his blond friend demanded with smoke-filled lungs.

"How does one prove that he doesn't feel exactly? You're not making sense. Is this weed fucking with you?" Chuck asked.

"No, it's not. You prove it with a game." Nate grinned. "You want anymore of this?" he asked, motioning toward the burning substance.

"What type of game?" he smirked, shaking his head. He was intrigued.

"You date her," he suggested, smiling as if it were the world's brightest idea.

"Now I know it's the weed." Chuck frowned, disappointed.

"No! Hear me out. You say you don't get jealous and that you don't like her. Date her. I don't believe you could honestly not care if she was to flirt with another guy in front of you," Nate reasoned. He took one last puff off the ember before stubbing it out.

"That's not going to prove anything. If I do get angry, it won't be jealousy. It will be me being possessive of things that are considered mine," he admitted.

"Ok, that's what you say now. I don't think that anybody in this world is incapable of feeling. Date her. If you feel nothing by the end, you win, but if I'm right and in the end you do feel, I win," his friend stated.

"I'll play along. What are the conditions?" he questioned, mentally bracing himself for the worst.

"Two months without any other females," Nate deadpanned.

"Are you serious!" he exclaimed.

"Yes. If we want to figure this out, you have to do it the same way everybody else does," the blond replied.

"I've never slept with the same girl twice and I don't plan to start now," he stated seriously.

"No one said you had to, but the alternative is masturbation or worse…none at all," Nate clarified.

"Name your stakes," Chuck huffed, considering the idea of the game, clearly not happy about the rules.

"If I win, I get the penthouse and the limo for a month during Christmas," the blond stated.

"And if I win?" he inquired.

"You get my family's villa in Italy for a month during Christmas," Nate answered.

"You do realize Nathaniel that it doesn't matter whether I win or lose. Either way you have the penthouse for a month?" Chuck smirked at his friend's cleverness.

"Yes. That way Serena and I will have it. Alone. Besides, you've been begging me to stay at that villa for years," he explained sheepishly.

"Yes. You deny my request every time," Chuck reminded him

"Well, it's up for grabs now," Nate persuaded.

"Fine. You've got yourself a bet. I'll be sure to send you a postcard for Christmas from Italy." He smirked as he thought of the perfect loop holes in his mind.

Nate took his phone, entering what Chuck assumed was Blair's number before handing his phone back just in time for the bell to ring.

"There you go man. You're all set. Let the games begin," Nate told him.

"Wait. What if she doesn't go for it?" Chuck voiced his concern.

"You'll figure something out. You're Chuck Bass." The blond impersonated his best friend before patting his back and walking off towards the school.

Chuck stood there contemplating the bet. If he played the right cards, he could have what he wanted – one night with Blair, returning to bedding many females, and the villa. Now all he had to do was convince his temptress to go along…

* * *

School had let out and Blair was putting her things away in her locker when she got the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched. She knew it was Chuck when the person didn't announce their presence and deciding that she wasn't in the mood to have another awkward situation, she chose the bitch route.

"Lurking is creepy Chuck," she commented without drawing her attention away from her locker. She continued to grab what books she would need for schoolwork.

"I was simply enjoying your _many_ assets," he teased, his voice low.

"What do you want? Aren't you tired of being rejected yet?" she asked, smirking as she closed her locker to find him leaning against them.

"I try not to worry about it. I know sooner or later you'll be begging me," Chuck drawled as he stood there. He took his time to appraise her, his eyes following every curve.

She shifted uncomfortably. _He must be crazy to have mood swings this unstable._

"Keep dreaming Bass," she scoffed. Ice mask in place, she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, what vivid dreams they are especially the one where your soft lips..." he recounted, lifting a hand to trail her lower lip.

She quickly swatted his hand away. The mixture of his cologne and his gentle touch had invaded her senses and caused her skin to tingle. Swiftly, she regained control of herself before he had a chance to notice the effect.

"Ew! That's a mental image that will take years of therapy to overcome thank you. I would appreciate it if you could keep you hands to yourself," she snapped.

He briefly wondered if she was serious about the therapy, mentally making a note to find out.

"But it's so much better with them on you," he smarmed. He ran a hand on her arm to emphasize his words.

He smirked in amusement when she shrugged away from him.

"Good line. Did you find that on Google under how to be a pig headed sleaze ball of a boss?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Actually I did. Right after I Googled pretentious bitch and pulled up your résumé." He smirked.

"Get to the point Chuck," she stated, clearly done with the battle of wits.

He sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"I felt bad about how I acted earlier, so I thought I could make it up to you by offering you a ride to work," he admitted seriously, while he motioned toward his limo outside.

"Hmm…thanks, but no thanks," she replied as she walked off towards the exit. Chuck followed closely behind her.

"It will take forever to get a cab from here," he told her.

She looked at him a moment, considering.

"One condition. You keep your hands to yourself," she reminded him as she stepped toward the waiting vehicle.

He smirked and followed her lead.

* * *

It was nine o'clock at night before she knew it. Chuck was surprisingly different at work, but in a good way. When they arrived, she noticed a desk in the corner of the room that she didn't recall seeing the last time she was here. He had explained that it was for her to do her schoolwork on and that she could do it anytime he didn't need her. She had sat down at her desk and started on her work immediately expecting that she wouldn't have a lot of time. She was wrong. She had been finished with her all of her papers for three hours now. The only time he had bothered her was if he needed her to write something down or make copies of something. It was actually quite relaxing for her, although she could tell that he took his job very seriously. She had been organizing and reorganizing her binders for an hour before his voice interrupted her.

"Jenny, can I speak with you in my office?" he spoke into the phone, hanging up as the doors opened to reveal the girl.

"Yes, Mr. Bass," she answered, stepping into the office, sparing a glance at Blair before turning her attention toward Chuck.

"I need you to clear my schedule for Friday afternoon," he requested.

"What should I tell your clients if they ask?" she questioned as she played with her fingers nervously.

Both of them knew what Jenny was up to. She just wanted to know what he would be doing. Chuck answered her without taking his eyes off Blair.

"You tell them I have a date," he answered honestly.

Jenny looked as if she were about to protest or maybe go into fits of rage. Reluctantly, she obliged. With a quick glare in Blair's direction, she stomped from the room, unnoticed by the two brunettes whose eyes were locked deep in their own world.

* * *

**A/N: **Update as promised :) lol Thank you for your reviews, I love reading them.

R&R!

"I want you"- Kings of Leon


	4. Bite your lip

The week passed by slowly for Blair. She had easily fallen into her new routine: school, work, and her new best friend Serena. Blair had already gotten dressed for school. Her mind had been too preoccupied to put much thought into her outfit, so she had settled for simple, yellow Prada flats, pearls, and a yellow headband that stood out against the dark shade of her hair. She had been eating breakfast when Dorota informed her that her mother had to leave for Paris last minute and that she would have to entertain her boss herself. She didn't even mind that she would be having dinner with Chuck tonight. She was just glad it was Friday and that she had the next two days off from both school and work. She hadn't seen Jenny other than at work, where the girl would refuse to acknowledge her. In fact, she had been suspiciously quiet ever since her first day there. The girl had probably spent the week plotting revenge. It's what _she_ would have done. She couldn't blame the girl for being furious with her for dating Chuck. Blair couldn't believe she had actually agreed to his proposition, but here she was…dating Chuck Bass. Well, kind of…

* * *

Chuck broke the silence as he cleared his throat, diverting his gaze.

"What was that?" She arched her brow.

"I was saving you. You told her we went on a date. I was simply backing up your story. She obviously had doubts. Hearing it from me will clear those up," he informed her.

"Why would you do that?" she asked curiously.

"I have a business proposal for you," he began, while shuffling stacks of paperwork on his desk. He waited for her to respond.

"Go on," she encouraged, eyeing him skeptically. She abandoned her desk in favor of leaning against the side of his.

"Well, technically, it's more of a favor, but it will benefit us both." He paused, shifting in his chair. When she didn't object to the idea, he continued. "I need you to pretend to be dating me."

Blair couldn't resist snorting at his statement.

"Why?" She scoffed in disbelief.

He launched into a shortened version of the bet, leaving out parts he felt were too personal. She had listened to his explanation about him being incapable of feeling and he had assured her that nothing bad could come out of the agreement.

"What do I get out of this?" Blair asked after she thought it over. She crossed her arms.

"Popularity. Every girl will want to be you and every guy will be lined up at your door," he replied confidently. "You could even be queen if you chose to be."

"Don't be so sure of yourself," she returned before questioning him further. "How do you even know people will care?"

"Everyone will assume you've obtained the unobtainable. It will be big news Waldorf. You'll be a legend. Trust me," Chuck persuaded, smirk in place.

Trust him? She had known the guy for a week and he wanted her to trust him? He must be crazier than she initially thought. She rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide it from her boss this time.

"Fine," she decided. "But I get to set ground rules." She turned towards Chuck, towering over him.

"Please enlighten me," Chuck replied sarcastically as he leaned back in his chair and got comfortable.

"You'll have the same rules I had in kindergarten, since you obviously have no control over your limbs. Number one: you will keep your hands to yourself," she stated.

He nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"There will be no physical contact between us whatsoever and that includes making out and sex," she demanded in a stern voice.

"I figured you would say that." He nodded in agreement, but he would work on changing her mind later. "What do you want me to do? Go two months without sex?" he questioned her. "I can promise that will not be happening."

"Don't be ridiculous! I would never ask that of you. You can have your whores. I just ask that you be discreet about it," she clarified, taking a seat across from him.

"Is that a rule?" he wondered aloud.

"Yes! That is a rule! I am doing this as a favor to you, so I expect you to respect my wishes. I do not appreciate being made a fool of," she exclaimed.

"I thought we agreed the favor part was a technicality," he stated, amused. "As far as that rule goes, I wasn't aware that one had to be discreet about sleeping around in kindergarten. Tell me. What did you do to get that rule enforced? Try to share a different boy's mat everyday during nap time?"

"No, Bass, that would be you begging all the girls to play doctor," she retorted.

"I will take that as a compliment. I happen to be a pro at that game. I would love to give you a check up one day," he smarmed.

"I'm sure you would," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes again.

"I would," he agreed. "Are those all the rules?"

"For now…unless I feel something else needs to be addressed," she answered him.

"Good. That will be all for tonight. You should head home. It's getting late," Chuck dismissed her, returning to his work.

"What about you?" she inquired, while gathering her school bag.

"I've got some things to finish up here. I should only take about an hour." He motioned towards the folders on his desk.

"They can wait until tomorrow," Blair decided, earning a confused look from Chuck. She smirked. "You cannot expect me to take a cab. You will give me a ride home. It's the least you could do."

She had no idea how they were going to pull off a fake relationship.

* * *

Blair sat beside Serena in their advanced English literature class, trying and failing to pay attention to the older women at the front of the room. It was one of the few classes they had together. She was doodling in her notebook, while the blond took notes on the subject.

Abandoning the notebook, Blair looked over at her friend. Observing her in detail, she couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy at the beautiful girl in front of her. Serena sported her uniform with designer heels and her hair was thrown up into a ponytail at the top of her head. She was tall, thin, tanned, and blond – everything she was not. She didn't have to try to be gorgeous. She just was and she even had the confident attitude to go along with it. Blair had to struggle to be perfect. She would spend hours getting ready, skip meals, and make herself sick just to maintain what she already was. The blond glanced up to catch her staring at her. Serena gave her a questioning look.

"What's up B? You okay?" she whispered, turning her attention away from their teacher to show concern for her friend.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about tonight. Chuck's suppose to come over for dinner, but my mom had to leave this morning. I'll have to deal with the devil myself," the brunette lied, hoping her best friend wouldn't notice the color that had risen to her cheeks. She let out a breath when Serena understood.

"Well, I mean, Nate and I are free tonight. We were just going to watch a movie. Maybe we can make it a double? I know this amazing restaurant downtown," she offered.

"That would be great S! Do you think Nate would be okay with it?" Blair asked.

"Of course! He likes you. We can get ready at my place," Serena suggested.

"Sounds like fun. Anything to prevent having to be alone with him!" she answered honestly.

"Oh my God!" the blond gasped, clasping her hands together excitedly. "You can just stay the night!"

"I don't know if that's a good idea S…" Blair argued, furrowing her brows.

"I'll tell Chuck to stay at Nate's," she interrupted before explaining sheepishly. "I've never really had a girls' night before."

"I guess that would be okay. Just make sure he isn't there," the dark haired girl replied.

"Okay! Great! I just need to inform Nate about the change of plans." She grabbed her bag to retrieve her cell phone.

Blair mimicked her movements. "Yeah, I suppose I should fill in your brother as well," she sighed, laying the phone on her lap as she sent a quick text to Chuck.

**Change of plans. We are going out for dinner with S and N. - B**

She spared a glance at the blond. She was smiling, deep in conversation with her boyfriend. Blair rolled her eyes as her phone vibrated, signaling an incoming text. She opened the device.

**Aw. Wasting no time going public I see. What? U couldn't wait to show off your shiny new toy? ;-) – C**

**U wish Bass. My mother had to leave town for business. – B**

She didn't even have to wait a full sixty seconds for a response.

**Can't say that I'm disappointed B, although I can think of better things to do while she's away. - C**

**That would be against the rules greyhound! Save the perverted comments. I was just letting you know. –B**

She huffed in annoyance, practically feeling him smirk via text.

**I was just sharing my opinion. I would rather be alone with you than stuck on a date with dumb and dumber. - C**

**Pick me up from your place at 8? – B**

She giggled at the pet names he had created for their friends.

**Why would I pick you up from my place? Are we pre-gaming? Or having dessert before dinner? – C**

_**We **_**are not doing anything. **_**I **_**will be getting ready with S and yo**_**u **_**will be at N's. – B**

**Demanding. I like it! – C**

Blair smirked at the reply before sending another demand.

**Good. U won't mind grabbing a sleeping bag then? You're not welcome at home tonight. – B**

**And why is that? – C**

**I'm staying over. No boys allowed. Have fun sleeping on the floor. See u at 8. – B**

The bell rang. The two girls dropped their cellular devices into their purses smiling for different reasons.

"All set!" Serena grinned as they walked out of the class and into the crowded hallways."What about on your end?"

"Taken care of." She smiled victoriously.

"Perfect! Well, I've got to go meet up with Nate. See you later?" the blonde asked.

"Of course! We'll meet up at your place at four," she answered.

The friends said their goodbyes and headed in opposite directions. Blair was walking to her locker when someone shoved her from behind causing her to lose balance and her purse to fly across the floor. _Are you serious? Twice in one week! What the hell is wrong with Americans?_

She quickly grabbed her scattered items off the ground, depositing them in her Gucci bag.

"_Sorry,_ I didn't see you there," Jenny apologized, faking concern as she towered over Blair laughing. Her minions followed her. "But it's fitting, don't you think?" She directed the question at her, referring to her bowing to the queen.

"It's ok," Blair gritted, standing up. "I can't expect you to see anything with your head that far up Chuck's ass."

"Speaking of Chuck, I'm glad to see sleeping with the boss has earned you a night off," Jenny countered.

"We haven't had sex, not that it's any of your business. At least I could get it if I decided I wanted to have it." She smirked.

"And that will be the last time you see him," the tiny queen mused, stepping closer to warn her. "You're playing a dangerous game Blair. If I were you, I would back out now before you fall under his spell thinking he's different; _that he actually cares about you_ only to leave you alone with your heartache in the end." She motioned for the girls to follow her as she turned and walked away before Blair could retort.

* * *

**You might have won this round J, but I wouldn't let your guard down just yet. I have a feeling the battle hasn't even begun. J was spotted walking off from a two second cat fight. Apparently, that's all she needed to get the point across. Why the face B? Find out every thing's not as it appears to be? You'll get use to it. It never is on the Upper East Side. What did you expect? You're not in France anymore. Here, we do things a bit differently. In our pastime, we drink, burn bridges, party, sleep around, create scandals, and leave destruction in our wake. Speaking of destruction, while the girls were chatting it up in the hallway, C was nowhere to be seen. I wonder why? We all know C has his sights on B. You know you love me.**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

Chuck fisted his hands at his sides as he saw the photos that were attached to the blast. There were three. The first one was of Blair on her knees at Jenny's feet picking up her belongings, the second was of Jenny walking away with wide smirk on her face, and the third was of a very confused looking Blair unmoving while people pushed past her.

He couldn't explain why they made him furious. He just didn't like seeing Blair on her knees in front of Jenny or the confusion that clouded her deep brown eyes. She didn't deserve being treated that way. It wasn't her fault he didn't want Jenny. He would just have to make her see that. He knew Blair could take care of herself and that he shouldn't care, but she was becoming a friend to him and no one messed with his friends.

* * *

Blair arrived at the penthouse a few minutes early. She had thought about her run in with Jenny all day. It didn't bother her that she had chosen her to battle with. She could play this game better than anyone. She just wanted dirt on the girl – the sooner the better. She had quite the sweet tooth for revenge. In France, if someone so much as looked at Blair wrongly, they would be paying the consequences for weeks. Upper East Side or not, the queen had nothing on her. She was weak. She would dethrone her and make her crumble and fall. The tiny girl would be begging for a spot in her group even as the lowest of minion. Blair smirked at the thought. She knocked on the door of the van der Bass home and waited for someone to come.

A moment later the door swung open to reveal a very excited Serena.

"B, you made it!" Her friend beamed, stepping out of the way so Blair could walk in.

"Don't act so surprised S. I told you I would be here." The brunette smiled, letting a small giggle escape her lips at her friend's antics. She walked in and waited for Serena to close the door.

"I know. I'm just excited!" she exclaimed. Walking into the living room, she plopped down on the couch. "Welcome to my humble abode," she said, throwing her hands in the air towards the lavish space surrounding her.

Blair laughed. "Where's everybody at?" she asked, taking a seat in a nearby chair.

"What do you mean? Chuck's at Nate's," Serena answered, scrunching her face.

"Yeah, but I mean, when do I meet the rest of the family?" she inquired, finding it a little odd that they were never around and that both friends never mentioned their parents.

"Oh! Well, it's just Chuck and me that live here." She motioned around her. "My little brother Eric is in Stuttgart, Germany for a foreign exchange program. He will be home for the holidays and my mom lives in the Hampton's with her new husband. Chuck and I don't get along with him," the blond explained.

"Huh? How long have you guys been siblings?" Blair asked, trying to put the pieces together. _Why would Chuck dislike his own father?_ No one could not like their parents. Blair's father had abandoned her and she still loved him.

"About two years," the girl admitted.

"And you still consider her husband new?" she wondered out loud.

"It's kind of a long story," Serena sighed, getting up to grab herself a soda. "You want something?"

Blair shook her head. "No thank you. What about your dad?"

"Again, I don't really know. Last I heard, he was in Fiji or something," her friend answered.

"We have time you know," she offered, while she watched her friend pour the dark liquid into a cup.

"Yeah, but it's not really my story to tell," she informed her, reclaiming her seat, drink in hand.

She sensed the change in her blond friend. "What do you want to do until the boys get here?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject. _If Serena said it wasn't her story to tell, maybe that meant it was Chuck's_, she mused. She decided she would ask him when she got the chance.

The girls had spent the last two hours getting ready. Serena had warned her about Chuck again and Blair assured her they were taking it slow. Really slow, considering there were no feelings involved and that she wasn't going to end up hurt. She hated lying to her new friend, but if she told her the truth, she would end up letting it slip to Nate and ruin the whole thing. She decided it was best to keep Serena in the dark. After a while, they moved on to gossip about Jenny's mean girls and she had even gotten a little bit of helpful information on the girl that she could use against her later.

Serena had chosen to wear a gold, sleeveless, mini Vera Wang dress that stopped mid thigh. She let her hair down. The golden, wavy locks fell just above her breast. She matched her dress with black Jimmy Choo's and a black hand-beaded Chanel clutch.

Blair, on the other hand, had decided to go for a more traditional look. She definitely did not want to send Chuck the wrong message, but she still wanted to have appeal. She had on a deep red Valentino dress that tied around the neck and like most, fell right around her knees. Her hair was left curly and she had gathered it into a low side pony tail, exposing the skin on her neck and shoulders. She too wore Jimmy Choo's. Her's were silver-strapped and she had a matching silver and red Versace clutch, completing the ensemble with a silver headband that had a silver rose with red stitching.

When the boys arrived, they were left in awe, staring at the stunning women in front of them. They paled in comparison to their female friends. After complimenting each other, they headed out the door to where the limo awaited them.

The limo had taken the four teens to a quiet, secluded restaurant on the Lower East Side, where the guys had escorted the beautiful women to a table in the back. Each of them ordered sushi and agreed to a bottle of Saki for the table. Chuck sat in silence, while the others chatted, only speaking when forced to do so.

It had been less than a week since the bet had started. He had caught himself staring at Blair's bare shoulders and neck all night. Her ivory skin color stood out to him between her chocolate curls and the deep red dress, making her look like she was made of porcelain and he ached to run his hands over the soft surface. He needed whores, lots of them. Obviously he was going crazy if just the sight of a females bare shoulders were getting him worked up. Having to stay with Nate was going to be torture on his already thin patience. He needed a plan, one that would leave him sexually satisfied and his friend oblivious to his lies. After drinking two bottles, the girls were deep into a conversation about famous nonfiction authors. Nate took the chance to wink in his direction. To prove to Nate that he was just as emotionally unaffected as before, he decided to speak up.

"Boring!" he interrupted, taking a shot of the green liquid, letting it burn his throat.

"Why Bass? Jealous that the only fame you get is when you're plastered all over page six?" Blair asked.

"No, it's just if I were a famous author, I wouldn't waste my time on something as dull as nonfiction. If I ever wrote a book, it would be about romance." He placed his hand gently over Blair's on top of the table. She tensed, meeting his gaze with curious eyes as he looked away, rubbing over the skin with his thumb. He watched in amusement as mouths dropped at the unexpected gesture.

He continued as if it had been normal behavior. "It would be about a vampire who was passionately in love with a time traveler and she wouldn't be able to control what time she was in, but that would be okay, since vampires are immortal anyway. It gets harder and harder to be together. Every time she goes too far into the past. He is either not alive yet or hasn't met her. She has to reintroduce herself to him time and time again."

The females swooned over his story, while Nate gave him a look of disbelief.

"In the end, they never work out, end up alone, and you see that love truly is pointless." Chuck smirked, concluding his story and causing Blair to snatch her hand back, both girls to scoff, and Nate to stifle a laugh.

"It was cute for a minute before you had to go all Chuck Bass on us," Serena commented, scrunching her nose in displeasure.

"What can I say sis? I aim to please," he drawled as Blair rolled her eyes.

The four of them sat around talking until they noticed it was getting late and decided to head home.

**Gossip Girl here. It looks like we're at B – 2 and J - 1 for those of you keeping score at home. This time, Blair didn't even have to try. C, B, N, and S were spotted leaving a restaurant on the Lower East Side. I hear they were calling it a double. Who would have guessed that our favorite UES playboy would have gone on a date with a straight-edged good girl? Or go on a date at all? So many questions C! But my biggest questions are…Have you gotten any yet? Are you two "dating" now? And how do we know this isn't some ploy? I for one wouldn't be surprised if it turned out faux. You can pretend with your girl, but we all know you won't stay caged for long. Someone get me the dirt on this "couple". You know you love me.**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

Blair sat on the kitchen counter in the dark, drinking a glass of water in pink and cream floral lingerie. Her cream robe hung open at her sides. She had left her hair in the low side ponytail and still had dark red Dolce and Gabbana classic cream stained on her pouting lips.

The ride back to the hotel had been silent. Chuck and Blair had sat as far away from each other as possible, while Serena and Nate had spent the time cuddled up together, kissing and whispering. They had gone their separate ways and the girls had stumbled into the penthouse around two am, slightly buzzed from the Saki. Serena had fallen asleep in record time, leaving Blair wide awake. She had tried to lie down and drift off, only to toss and turn for an hour before finally giving up completely. Ever since Chuck had touched her hand, things had been awkward between them. They didn't even like each other as friends! Ok well, that was a lie. Blair had kind of gotten use to his quirky charms. Maybe they were friends or at least friendly. What the hell! Why was this so hard? Why should there be tension if neither of them had feelings for the other?

"Am I interrupting something?" a low voice questioned from the entrance.

Blair's head snapped up at her uninvited guest.

"Oh! Bass!" she gasped, regaining control. "I didn't hear you come in." She shifted in attempt to hide her body a little better with her robe, feeling like her nightwear was suddenly too revealing.

"I was just stopping by to grab a few things. Why are you down here alone in the dark" he asked, walking slowly towards her.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came down to get a glass of water," she finished as he stopped right in front of her. It was then she noticed the mixture of cigarettes, liquor, and natural musk filling the air. He was drunk or at least tipsy.

"Ooh…" he drug out, taking a step closer to where her knees brushed against his belt.

"Are you drunk?" she inquired, feeling the heat radiate off his body.

"I may have had a few scotches at the bar downstairs," he answered, closing the space between them by pushing her legs to both sides of his hips to accommodate him as he laid his hands on her thighs.

"What are you doing Chuck?" she breathed, staring his hands against her skin. She had never had a guy touch her this intimately. Her skin burned as if it were on fire and to her surprise, she didn't _totally_ hate the feeling of his hands caressing the sides of her legs.

"I don't know," he whispered honestly. She brought her eyes up to meet his.

They stayed like that for a moment, her on the counter with him in between her legs, his hands roaming over the delicate skin, their eyes locked, until he did something neither of them was prepared for. He leaned in, gently brushing his lips against hers. He pulled back to stare at her lips. When she didn't respond, he leaned back in, pressing his lips harder against her mouth, igniting a fire that spread through her whole body. She kissed him back for a second before they both pulled back to lock eyes again.

"Did you feel anything?" he asked in whispers, slightly out of breath.

"No," she lied with guarded eyes. "Did you?"

"Not at all," he answered nonchalantly, reluctantly slipping out from his previous place to take a step back.

"Good. Then we have nothing to worry about," Blair stated, jumping down from the counter to put her glass in the sink.

"I guess not," he spoke to her back, staring at her intently and trying to read her thoughts.

"Good night Bass," she sounded before walking out of the room.

Blair returned to Serena's room. She laid back down in bed beside her blond friend.

"Where did you go B?' Serena mumbled, moving around to get comfortable again.

"Go back to bed S. I just had to get something to drink from the kitchen," she coaxed.

She didn't want to go to bed, but she definitely couldn't stay in there with _him_. He had kissed her! And she had kissed him back! Her stupid body had betrayed her. She didn't even want to think about it anymore, but she couldn't help but wonder why he had come in the first place. He had said it was to get something, but what? And why was he at the bar when he was supposed to be at Nate's? The one thing Blair did know was that a very tipsy Bass had already broken rules one and two. _So much for no physical contact._

* * *

"Goodnight Blair," he whispered to himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He had kissed her! He had only had two scotches! He couldn't even blame it on the alcohol! He didn't understand why or even how this had happened.

They had arrived home from dinner, said goodbye to the girls, and headed to the suite. Nate had passed out and Chuck had decided that it was the perfect opportunity to go down to the bar, get drunk, and pick up a girl. It didn't actually happen that way though. He had gone down for a drink, picked up two girls, and had taken them to his currently vacant hotel room where he realized he didn't have any condoms. He had quickly run up to the penthouse, where he saw Blair sitting in the dark looking amazingly sexy in her lingerie. He had a strong desire to touch her, a need to feel her body close to his. Forgetting the waiting girls all together, he had went in and kissed her! He hadn't meant for that to happen. Then, she told him that she had felt nothing from the kiss that he had actually left him a little breathless. He had never been left that much feeling from just a kiss.

That was when he remembered the girls. He needed relief more now than ever. Slipping quietly into his room, he grabbed his box of condoms. He walked towards the elevator and back into the room with the two patiently waiting brunettes.

"Now, where were we?" he smirked.

* * *

**A/N**: Wow thanks for the reviews guys! I'm so glad you like it so far. Hope to hear from you...

****"Bite your lip" - Sing it loud


	5. The way we talk

Chuck sat in class gym class with Nate. Well, he sat, while the blonde played soccer. He was never one for sports unless it was basketball of course. What was the point of getting all hot and sweaty? Well, he liked getting all hot and sweaty. His version was slightly different with a lot less clothes and preferably with chicks.

He hadn't seen Blair all weekend, not since the kitchen incident. Just the thought of it made his lips tingle. After the kiss, he ended up going back to suite 1812 and had his way with both of the dark-haired girls, but afterward, he was left just as unsatisfied as before. He wanted _her_. She would be the ultimate conquest, the hardest one to crack to this date, but he was determined to break her. He was sure she was avoiding him. She didn't show up to school today and had yet to return his texts. His sister was little help both at home and at lunch when he asked about her. She had claimed that they may be going on dates, but she still didn't trust his intentions with her friend. She had refused to talk about Blair and was really going overboard with the whole best friend thing. He had even tried to pull the blood over water line, but she told him that girl talk was sacred or at least that was what she had read somewhere. Serena had been gone all day Saturday with no explanation. She had never really done that before, so he assumed she had gone to see his current frustration. He just needed to see her to make sure they were okay and that the deal was still on. He was hoping to talk to her Saturday morning, but when he arrived home, he found the place empty. He still didn't know how to feel about the kiss and prayed it wouldn't ruin anything. He honestly had no idea what the hell he was thinking! He blamed himself for being tipsy, even though the voice in his head told him otherwise. He chose to ignore that voice. It tended to nag and give him a headache. He made up his mind not to try anything with her again until the last night of the bet. That way, he could have his cake and eat it too. From here on out, he would just stick to his normal, smarmy innuendo's and avoid anything physical.

When gym class was over, he and Nate parted ways, so his friend could shower before class. Chuck walked through the hall looking for Christopher. Maybe Blair had mentioned to him where she was going today. He was vaguely aware at how much he was acting like a controlling boyfriend, but he told himself it was just to keep up with appearances. When he found Chris, he was talking to Jenny. He thought that was a little odd that they would be fighting in hushed whispers, but at least this way he could talk to Jenny as well. Walking up to the two, he happened to overhear the tail-end of their argument.

"I can't Jenny. It's wrong!" Chris whispered angrily.

"I don't care! I want it done, so do it or I will find someone who will!" she fumed, putting her foot down. Chuck gave them a questioning look. He understood that he had missed a lot, but Chris looked like he had been slapped. He had a feeling the last blow held a double meaning.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he waited for them to notice him.

"Chuck!" Jenny stuttered, clearly mortified by his presence. Chris just nodded his head, slightly shocked.

"I came to see if Chris had seen Blair, but I have to agree Jenny. That's low…even for you," he announced, hoping she would spill more of whatever she and her friend were hiding.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked in a quiet voice, directing her gaze at her feet.

"Long enough," he lied.

"Whatever you heard, you heard wrong," she spoke louder, defending her actions.

"What did I hear?" he asked, taking a step closer to her to intimidate her.

"I don't know. You tell me," she stated, looking him in the eye.

He just smirked at her.

"Exactly," she stated, realizing he was playing her.

He turned his focus on Chris.

"Have you seen Blair?" he asked, ignoring the useless blonde for the moment. He would find out what she was planning eventually.

"No, I haven't heard from her all weekend," he admitted. Guilt and shame flashed across his eyes at the sound of her name.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, noticing the brief emotions. He figured that either Chris was lying or that Blair had been the reasoning behind the hushed whispers.

"Yes. Not even a phone call," he answered.

"I don't know why you care so much," Jenny said, voicing her opinion.

"If you want to stay employed, I suggest you back off of Blair," Chuck drawled.

"You cannot fire me for personal reasons," the blonde reminded him.

"I'm the boss. I can do whatever I want. You do as I say. No questions asked," he retorted, throwing her words from before back at her. "And since Blair is an employee as well, I can fire you for harassment."

Jenny looked taken back before she asked, "What if Blair harasses me? Are you going to give her the same treatment or are you going to play favorites?"

Chuck smirked at her, "That's your own fault. You started it, although I'm sure she will find a way to finish it," he replied.

"That's unfair! She shouldn't receive special treatment just because you're fucking her," she scoffed.

"Don't talk about her like that. You don't even know her." His eyes narrowed as he spoke. "I'm serious Jenny. Leave Blair alone. I won't tell you again."

He turned around and walked away without a glance back. His phone vibrated in his pocket. _Great_, he thought sarcastically. Gossip Girl probably got the whole thing in streaming video. Opening his phone, he noted that it was indeed Gossip Girl. The message, however, was not what he expected.

**Spotted: S looking lonely without her latest must have brunette accessory. Why isn't B at school? Because she was seen walking out of a Lower East Side doctor's office of course! Any skeletons in your closet B? You know I'm always here if you need someone to talk to. I'm a good listener…and secret keeper. I mean, who would I have to tell? Also, J and C were seen in a heated argument. Lovers' quarrel? Or would that be a love triangle? You tell me. But seriously, what would these two have to talk about? He's just not into you **_**little J**_**. Face it. He is so far out of your league that you're not even on the same playing field. Life's a bitch, but then again, so are you. You know you love me.**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

"Fuck," Chuck swore under his breath. Something wasn't right. For a teenage girl in perfect health, she sure did have a lot of appointments. Closing the blast, he sent a quick text, shutting his phone and replacing it in his black Armani slacks as he went to find his friends for lunch.

* * *

Blair had had her first meeting with Doctor Sherman today, accompanied by her monthly check up at the doctor's office. She was pleased with neither, but her mother had arrived home Sunday morning insisting that she took the day off for medical reasons. She had been in such a rush leaving her house this morning that she had forgotten her cell phone, not that it mattered. She had been avoiding Chuck since the kiss. In her eyes, they had no reason to be around each other, other than for appearances only. She should hate him for kissing her, but all she had been able to think about was his soft lips and how the gentle kiss had made her feel. She hadn't disliked it and that was a big problem. She liked him as a friend. She just needed the tension between them to die down a little. Otherwise, she might be tempted to do it again. She wished she had her phone so she could talk to Serena. They had bonded over the weekend. On Saturday, they had gone for coffee and croissants before heading back to Blair's penthouse to hang out. They spent the day away from prying eyes to gossip and have some much needed girl talk. She had missed her best friend today and really wanted to see her before she had to go to work.

After her appointments were done for the day, she had arrived home, quickly heading for her room. After grabbing her mobile phone from her nightstand, she flipped it open to see if anyone had noticed her absence_. 12 new messages. 5 missed calls_. She went to her call log first, two from Serena, one from Nate, and two from Chuck. Abandoning her call list, she scrolled through her text messages.

**B, where were u this morning? I didn't see u before school. - S**

**U weren't in class and u r not texting back…Everything ok? – S**

**Not a single bitchy comment all weekend? If I didn't know u better, I might think u were avoiding me. ;-) – C**

**Hey! S's starting to get worried. Can u text her so she knows u r ok? – N**

**B, it's almost lunch and I haven't heard from u. I'm officially worried! Text me! – S**

**Now I know that u are avoiding me. Let me make it clear. The bet's not off until I say it is. - C**

**Blair, care to take me up on that offer soon? - Chris**

**Hey Blair! Just talked to my parents! Get to visit u for x-mas. :-) – K**

**Ok…or u can not text back. Lol! – K**

She paused when her finger rolled over the Gossip Girl blast. "Shit!" she mumbled. Gossip Girl! How could she have forgotten? Now she would have to come up with a lie. She returned to scrolling through her texts to check the last two messages in fear.

**Doctor's huh? Anything I should know about? – C**

**B? – S**

She sent replies to both Kelsey, her best friend in France, and Chris before deciding it would be good to call Serena. She would be at lunch right about now. Pressing the blonde's name, she waited for her to pick up.

* * *

Chuck sat at their usual lunch table with Serena and Nate. It had been a little weird without Blair there. He felt kind of like a third wheel, which was odd because he had never gotten the feeling before. He knew that his sister was overreacting with her over-protectiveness with Blair, but he had been a little worried also until the worry turned to anger. Once the blonde explained she hadn't gotten a text back either, his anger turned back into worry. For someone who didn't feel, he was certainly getting whiplash. Damn her perfect attendance record! If she didn't have one, they wouldn't be freaking out right now. They had been talking about the fall fashion show that Serena would be featured in when the girl's phone rang.

"Hey!" she answered, looking at Chuck and Nate.

There was a pause, while the other person spoke.

"I saw that. Are you ok?" Serena questioned who he now assumed was Blair. He studied her intently as she spoke.

"Ok, I'm coming over," she decided, looking at the group once more. She waited again for whatever the brunette girl had to say.

"Yeah, it's only free period and gym. I can skip," she announced.

"See you soon." She hung up, staring at Chuck.

"That was Blair," she informed them, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Is she ok?" the boys asked in union.

"Yeah, I'm just going to head over there to talk," she clarified. Kissing her boyfriend on the cheek as she swung her bag over her shoulder, she slid out of her seat.

"I'll go with you," Chuck suggested, getting ready to stand.

"No, I think she wants to talk alone. I'll have her to work on time." She smiled as she walked away from the group.

* * *

Blair had decided it was best to confided in the blonde about her condition. That way if it happened again, she would have someone to turn to now that she didn't have Kelsey. She just didn't know where to start. How exactly do you tell someone something like that? She didn't have to wait long before she heard the elevator ding announcing Serena's arrival.

"That was fast," she commented, hugging her best friend.

"I left as soon as you called," the blonde admitted. "We were worried when you didn't show up for school."

"Yeah…That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," she told her, hoping that she wouldn't judge her, although she couldn't see her as being a judgmental person.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern filling her voice as Blair lead them to the living room.

"I don't really know how to say it," she admitted, sighing. She took a seat on the couch. Serena followed her movements to sit beside her.

She could tell she was just making her best friend more worried by making her wait for an answer.

"Just tell me. I won't judge you. I promise. Just try," she encouraged her, taking her hand.

"Okay." She looked down at their hands. "I have a medical condition…I skip meals some days…overeat other days…and once in a while, make myself throw up. That's why I wasn't at school today. It hasn't happened in months, but I still have to go to therapy once a week and go for a checkup once a month." She stopped to see her friend's reaction.

"You're bulimic?" Serena whispered, not fully believing she had heard her right.

"Yes," she answered, tears welling up in both girls.

"Why B? You're so beautiful," she told her truthfully, her voice breaking at the realization. She reached out to grip her friends hand to try to comfort her.

"It's something I struggle with. I feel the need to be perfect. I feel like I have no control over my life so that's just how I started to deal with it…But then, I got sick…really sick. I had to be hospitalized. They told me that a relapse could be dangerous. That's when I decided to seek help," she informed her with tear-stained cheeks. She hated being weak, even if it was her best friend she was talking to.

"Bulimia was the one thing you thought you could control," Serena stated in understanding.

Blair just nodded.

"It's going to be okay B. I'll help you get through this. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone," she promised.

They shared a smile of understanding before Blair pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks S. I needed to tell you so if it happens, I'll have someone to turn to," she said, pulling out of the embrace to wipe away her ceasing tears.

"I will always be here for you." She smiled at the brunette.

Blair laughed. "I think you've read one too many Cosmos on how to be a good friend," she joked.

Serena laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right, but once we started hanging out, I stopped reading them and just played it by ear. So far it's worked!" she announced proudly.

"I'm starving. Want to grab a bite before I have to go in?" she asked her blonde friend.

"Yeah, I have a few things to do at Bass Industries anyway. We can just get something on the way," she said, standing up.

"Wait…Can I ask you something?" Blair wondered, standing to head up to her room.

"Anything," she encouraged.

"Why aren't you queen instead of Jenny?" she asked, slightly confused.

"I didn't want it, but that doesn't mean I answer to the girl," she told her, showing off a smirk of her own.

"Good," Blair nodded.

Blair switched clothes. She had changed into a cream pencil skirt that hugged her mid stomach, a pink button down, a cream headband fastened in her dark curls, and matching pink Chanel peep toes. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, the girls headed down onto the street. They had stopped at a restaurant nearby. Serena had explained everything that had happened that day at school. It had been like she had never spoken of her secret and she was thankful for that. After eating, they decided it was time to deal with the Bass that she had yet to text back. They passed Jenny, who had been glaring at them since they had stepped off the elevators.

"Mr. Bass is in a meeting." The tiny girl smiled sweetly.

Both girls ignored her, walked straight into his office and interrupted his meeting.

His eyes turned to glare at the intruder, but softened when he noticed it was his sister and _her_. He was mad that she hadn't text him back. He felt ignored. _Two can play that game. _He smirked.

"Mr. Abbot, I don't believe you have had the pleasure of meeting my sister, Serena van der Woodsen," he let out smoothly, directing his attention toward Serena.

The older man took the blonde's hand. "Alfred Abbot. It's nice to meet you Serena. I wasn't aware that Mr. Bass would have a sister as beautiful as yourself," he responded, earning a giggle from Serena.

"Yes, well, he is lucky to have me," she announced, smiling.

"Indeed…and who is this charming creature?" he asked, referring to the brunette standing behind her best friend.

"That is my P.A. Miss Waldorf," he explained in a bored tone.

"Such beautiful women you surround yourself with Charles," Mr. Abbot complimented.

"Thank you sir," he replied before focusing on Serena. "So, you think you could wait for me in your office? We're almost done here," he said. Blair gave Serena a confused glance not knowing the blonde had her own office.

"Of course," she smiled. "It was nice to meet you Mr. Abbot." She turned and walked towards the door, Blair following behind her. Chuck decided it would be a lot more fun to make her suffer with him.

"Actually _Miss Waldorf_, I need you in here." he drawled, fighting the urge to smirk at her as she tried to hide her annoyance.

The two girls hugged goodbye before Serena left. Blair sat at her desk, aware that not only did he not need her, he was also ignoring her. After the man had said farewell, he finally acknowledged her presence.

"Why weren't you at school today?" he asked, looking up from his closed business deal. He was sure the two beauties had something to do with the man's final decision.

"I had an appointment," she answered flatly, not looking at him.

"What kind of appointment?" he pushed, getting out of his chair to walk over to where she sat.

"Are you asking as a friend or as my boss?" she inquired, looking up to see him leaning on her desk.

"Which one will get me an answer?" he questioned, smirking at her.

"Neither," she deadpanned.

"If you weren't going to tell me either way, why did you even ask?" he mused.

"I was just curious," she stated.

"And so was I…as a friend," he assured her, checking out her outfit.

"I was at a checkup. Everyone has them. It's not a big deal," she returned.

"I'm connected with doctors. You should have just called. I could have gotten you a checkup for free," he smarmed.

"And end up with an incurable STD? Hmm…No thanks," she quipped.

"Please, it didn't look like you felt that way when I kissed you," he scoffed.

"It was unexpected and I was tipsy!" she defended herself, standing up to face him.

"Two shots of Saki are hardly tipsy," he countered, locking his eyes with hers.

"Oh yeah and what about you? You weren't even supposed to be there! You were supposed to be at Nate's!" she reminded him, her eyes narrowing.

"Nate fell asleep. I was bored. I went to the Palace bar to meet some women. I was simply coming to retrieve my protection. I don't want any mini me's running around. I didn't expect you to still be awake and the girls were anxious," he told her.

"Girls? As in plural? How very Hugh Hefner of you." She scrunched her face in disgust, feeling a pang jealousy toward girls she didn't even know.

"You told me to be discreet. I was. You didn't make any rules against threesomes," he reminded her helpfully.

"Gross Bass. I don't need details," she scoffed.

"Are you sure? I mean, I could just show you," he said slyly, rubbing her arm, smirking as she leaned into his touch. He leaned in so their lips were almost touching.

"I'm sure," she breathed. Losing her senses, she closed the gap, brushing her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against him.

"Why didn't you text me back?" he whispered, pulling her out of her trance.

She stepped out of his embrace and away from him, leaving him confused, but he masked it well.

"You should go see your sister. She's waiting for you," she decided.

"You're right. You should stay here. I'll be back in a few," he said, trying to clear his head of what had almost happened. He walked out, leaving Blair to try to make sense of the moment before.

After twenty minutes, Blair was bored out of her mind. She had given up trying to figure out why she had almost kissed Chuck Bass…again. Chuck had left his personal laptop on his desk along with his business one. She decided she would get on his computer and do some snooping of her own. There was another ten minutes of boring documents before she stumbled upon a folder with videos. She clicked on the first one. When it started to play, she gasped. There, on the screen, was a very naked red head accompanied by a semi-naked Chuck. She watched in horror as they began to fool around, but it was like a train wreck. She couldn't look away. Three minutes into it, they started having sex. Blair became embarrassed that she was pretty much watching Chuck's porn in his office. She closed the video and scrolled though the rest…a hundred and sixty two! Some of which had multiple girls, but they all had Chuck. She slammed the computer shut. Taking a deep breath, she opened it again, went into the hard drive, and reset the entire computer, wiping everything away. Smiling victoriously, she went back to her desk and waited for the man whore to arrive. She couldn't help but feel all hot and bothered as she replayed his nakedness in her mind.

When Chuck came back a few minutes later, she masked her face to stop from flushing.

"You can go." He sighed, defeated.

"What?" she asked, surprised at his sudden demand, suddenly starting to worry that Serena had said something.

"My dear sister thinks you should have the day off so you can spend some time with her. She said you hadn't been feeling well and I'm not going to make you work if you're sick," he explained, noticing the hesitation in her dark eyes.

"I'm not sick," she snapped, glaring at him.

He was a little taken back at her change in attitude.

"Okay, well, still take the day off. Serena wants your company. I'll be fine. I don't have a lot to do anyway. If you would have answered my text, I would have told you that," he persuaded. He just needed time to think, away from her. Her being around was too tempting at the moment.

"I forgot my phone at home," she admitted, looking down at her shoes. She felt guilty for snapping at him. She just didn't like him saying she was sick, even if he had no idea that she was.

"It's fine. I'll see you in the morning," he dismissed her, walking back to his desk.

Blair decided she wanted to play a new game. She intercepted him halfway and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. It took him a minute to understand what was going on. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He tangled one hand in her curls as he kissed her back hungrily. He brushed his tongue against her lips, requesting entry and she opened her mouth to mingle her tongue with his. They broke apart after a few moments. She smiled, wiping her lip off with her thumb in a way that he could only think was sexy. Backing away from him, she said, "Goodbye _Mr. Bass._" She walked to the door before she stopped, turning around to see him standing in the same spot. "By the way, I think your computer crashed." She smirked at his confusion as she walked out of the office to see Serena standing there waiting for her.

"Ready B?" she asked, smiling.

"Let's go," she smirked back, locking arms with the blonde as they headed for the elevators, both still ignoring the "queen".

"Why didn't you tell me you had your own office? I could be your assistant you know." Blair teased as she pushed the button for the elevator.

"You would never work. I hardly ever come here. I thought it was pointless, but chuck insisted that I have one since I own ten percent of the company. The only time I even come here is to approve something or if there's a board meeting," she laughed.

"No work sounds about right" Blair smiled. The two quickly stepped into the confined box that would take them to the ground level.

The girls had spent the rest of their afternoon watching their favorite movies at Serena and Chuck's while cramming their mouths full of popcorn. They had dozed off during Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, the one Serena had chosen, only to be woken up when Chuck arrived home, his laughter filling the room at the sight of the two friends.

Serena had been spread out across the couch with the butterballs stuck in her hair, while Blair was curled up in _his_ chair nearby, the movie still playing in the background. She looked so innocent. He couldn't even stay pissed at her for deleting all of his homemade videos. He never watched them anyway and he could just suggest they make new ones together…very hot new ones. In fact, the thought of Blair watching them uncomfortably in his office made it worth it. She had seen him naked, well mostly, and he could hold that over her with smarmy comments.

* * *

After dinner, Blair decided she should head home. It was almost ten and she had to get ready for school in the morning. After saying goodbye to her friends, she walked down to Chuck's limo.

Dorota greeted her when she came in the door. If what Chuck said during their deal was right, she would begin phase one tonight, including the kiss she gave Chuck.

"Dorota, I need a list of every female in my class…I want attendance, academic, and society records. I'm recruiting," she ordered the maid, heading off to her room to get some much needed rest. For the next few days, she would be finding her mean girls and after that, the war would begin. And she never in war. Ever.

* * *

**AN:** Thank you to every one who put this on story alert, favorite story, etc. it means a lot. Thank you for all the lovely reviews I hope you really like this chapter. I went through hell for it. Literally.

''The way we talk"- The Maine


	6. Girls only

By Thursday, Blair had her list of recruits narrowed down to the lucky four. She had spent the entire school day in search of each one of the girls on her list. One by one, she scratched off names as she requested their presence at the Waldorf penthouse later that afternoon, to which all of them had eagerly agreed to of course. Blair loved power. It brought her happiness and to see that the girls were already more than willing to cancel any prior plans for her made it even better. She always got what she wanted. Right now, she wanted to be queen more than anything and little Jenny Humphrey was not about to stand in her way. She had more than enough dirt on the girl thanks to Serena and Chuck.

With Chuck in mind, Blair attended to the second thing on her list. Instead of playing by his rules, Blair had decided to play by her own, having started with the kiss in his office. While she was supposed to _pretend_ to have broken said man whore, she decided that it would be a lot more fun to _actually_ break the bad boy. She didn't like him like that. She just thought it would be a lot more fun to mess with his head a little. No harm, no foul, right? She knew he wouldn't fall in love with her, but she just wanted to make him see women differently, especially her. She wanted him to have respect for her and to maybe even like her. Then, he could see what the rejection he so carelessly threw at people felt like for himself. She just wanted to give him a wake up call that feelings _do_ exist and that you shouldn't treat everyone you meet like shit. Blair was sure he had ulterior motives and now, she did as well.

It had been a tough week so far. She had been busy the last couple of days, evaluating the ladies from afar while balancing work, her friendship with Serena, and maintaining her relationship with Chuck – whatever the hell that was. There had been no touching, no holding hands or any other form of PDA at all. They didn't share intimate kisses in public nor in private for that matter. They did nothing that screamed the word couple and yet, all they really had to do was be seen hanging around one another. It seemed to do the trick, at least for now. She had yet to find the right moment to bring up the Gossip Girl blast about him and Jenny and the dispute with his father, but she planned to ask soon. Her curiosity was starting to get the best of her. She always knew _everything_. It bothered her that she hadn't gotten to know all of Chuck yet.

Apart from taking Chris up on his offer and attending a charity gala on the Lower East Side Wednesday after work, she had made sure to avoid camera phones and stay under the radar all night. Thankfully, it had worked. No word had gotten out about her attendance or the fact that her _date _had not been her faux-boyfriend, not that Chris had noticed anything was amiss. When they had reached her home, he had placed a quick goodnight kiss on her cheek that had made her tense up immediately, feeling extremely guilty. She couldn't sleep that night. She had tried to drift off to sleep, but she couldn't stop feeling like a little girl that had stolen a cookie from the cookie jar even after her mother had already told her _no_. She had to remind herself over and over that night that she and Chuck weren't even in a real relationship. It was ridiculous that Chuck could sleep with fifty people in a week and be perfectly content with himself where as one innocent kiss on the cheek led her to a night full of unnerving insomnia.

Blair sat quietly beside Serena in study hall, the other class they were lucky enough to have together, when she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! My best friend from France, Kelsey, is coming for a visit during Christmas," Blair exclaimed in hushed whispers, dropping her pen as she angled her body to face her friend.

"Oh, that's exciting." Serena lifted her head to offer a fake smile, obviously less enthusiastic about the idea than the girl beside her.

"I can't wait for you to meet her! You guys will get along great. I just know it," the brunette continued, failing to notice the blonde's distress.

"Yeah…it will be so…great," Serena agreed, widening the smile.

"Ok S, what's the problem?" Blair asked, her smile dropping as she finally picked up that something was wrong.

"Nothing," she sighed in defeat. "I'm happy for you. I am. I'm just…not looking forward to someone stealing you away from me," the girl admitted, a pout forming on her lips.

Blair laughed.

"It's not funny Blair! Do you know how boring conversations are when the only people you have to talk to are Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald? It's even worse when one is your brother and the other is your boyfriend." Serena frowned.

"No, no. I'm not laughing at you," Blair clarified, laughter subsiding. "I'm laughing at the thought of Kelsey stealing me away from you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm happy here. You're my best friend S. Do you really think I would go out without you?" she asked.

"I hope not, but she's your best friend too. What if she wants you all to herself?" the blonde questioned, suddenly a little scared that that would happen.

"She won't," the brunette assured her current best friend. "If she does, then that's her problem because I won't leave you behind."

"You promise?" Serena asked, still a little uncertain.

"I promise." Blair smiled, trying to calm the blonde's fears.

"Okay, tell me about her. I'll make an effort." Her best friend returned a weak smile. It was the least she could do.

"Thanks S!" The brunette's smile grew larger. "I promise you'll love her."

Serena smiled genuinely at Blair's enthusiasm.

"Okay well, her name is Kelsey Diagatjo. We have been best friends since she moved to France four years ago. Her family is from Spain, but she grew up in L.A. She taught me Spanish! She can speak French and English, but Spanish is her first language," Blair started adamantly.

The rest of the class flew by. Blair had caught Serena up on all things Kelsey. The blonde had to admit that by the end of the class, she was actually looking forward to meeting Blair's friend. She seemed like a really cool person and she couldn't wait to see a piece of the brunette's life pre-Constance. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Serena grabbed her books and slid out from her desk in a rush.

"Are you ready?" she asked, standing in front of Blair as she finished loading up her belongings.

"Of course!" Her friend smirked as they walked into the crowded hall.

"You text Chuck?" Serena asked, knowing that she hadn't informed him that she was going to be late during lunch.

"I am right now," Blair stated, showing her phone as they dropped their books off at their lockers and grabbing only the ones they would need later.

"Little Jenny Humphrey won't know what hit her." The blonde beamed. When her best friend had first mentioned her plan, Serena had been reluctant to follow through. She had never been one for destruction or dancing in someone else's misery, but she had read that you are supposed to support your friends. If being queen made Blair happy, then she would stand behind her. Besides, the school would be out of Jenny's hands. That's all that mattered. She didn't answer to the blonde, but she didn't like the way the girl treated innocent people either, so she ended up coming around and agreeing to help.

Silently the pair walked out of school to catch a cab. Once they reached their destination, they paid the driver and headed up to the penthouse.

"I still don't know why we couldn't just do this at my house," Serena said, breaking the silence.

"Because…then we would have to chance running into your bastard of a brother," Blair stated, making Serena cringe at the word. She tried to cover it quickly, but the brunette noticed. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just haven't met your mother and I feel that it might be awkward under the circumstances," the blonde lied.

"Relax S. She's probably not even home," Blair assured her, offering her a tight smile.

The elevator dinged as they braced themselves. Serena followed her friend into the kitchen, dropping their books along the way.

"Dorota!" Blair yelled.

Blair's maid hurried into the kitchen. "Yes, Miss Blair," she answered.

"Where is my mother?" she asked.

"I no say Miss Blair. Your mama be at work today, say she be home by dinner," Dorota mentioned nervously.

"Good. Go get mine and Serena's belongings and take them up to my room." Blair dismissed her.

"Yes, Miss Blair." Dorota nodded. "I make snacks for you and guest." She pointed to the food on the counter before hurrying out of the room.

"Thank you," the girls called after her.

Serena had jumped up to sit on the counter beside the platter of snacks, while Blair opted for just leaning against it. They had easily fallen into conversation, laughing and teasing, while popping random pieces of assorted cheeses and fruits into their mouths. The ding from the other room informed them of their first guest's arrival. They ignored it. Dorota had been instructed with what to do with them.

"It's going to be so different having five girls. I'm used to three," Blair sighed, taking a sip of the water she had poured them.

"Then why five now? Why not just make it three?" Serena wondered, scrunching her face in confusion.

"Because in France, I only needed three girls. I had my best friend Kelsey as well as Heaven and Neveah Randall. I'm going to need twice as many to get that kind of influence here," the brunette beside her admitted.

"Wait! Randall? As in the English twins? From the Windsor dynasty?" the blonde gasped, her eyes wide.

Blair giggled. "The two and only. I had those duchesses wrapped around my little finger," she said, showing her pinkie finger as an example.

"Wow! That's awesome B!" Serena exclaimed loudly before lowering her voice drastically. "How did you manage that?" she asked, embarrassed. She was sure that the girls in the next room had heard her outburst.

"It was easy. They were my friends and with Windsor no longer around, they had nothing left but the title and the respect. So, when I offered the spots to them, they were happy to oblige. I gained protection and respect and it gave _them_ a way to use their power," Blair informed her overexcited friend.

"That's so cool! Why didn't you ever tell me this?" she questioned, intrigued with Blair's previous life.

"I didn't have a reason too." Blair shrugged. "Anyway, we should probably get out there. I bet they are all wondering why I asked them here."

Serena nodded as she hopped down from the counter. Abandoning her seat, she walked behind Blair to greet their waiting guests.

* * *

Two hours later, Blair hurried past Jenny's cold stare and straight through the great mahogany doors without knocking. Chuck stood with his back to her, facing the window while swirling a glass of scotch in his hand.

"Sorry I'm late." She rushed the words out as she paced to her desk to put her items down.

"An hour to be exact," he drawled, unmoving.

"Like you cared," she muttered under her breath. He smirked as the words reached his ears. "Like I said, I had something that I had to take care of," she said, her voice louder than before. She sat down at her desk to begin making flash cards for her upcoming botany exam.

He stopped swirling his scotch and turned around. He took a moment to take in her appearance. Her long, chocolate, usually cascading curls had been pinned into a low side ponytail much like the night of their "first date". She had on a red Chanel, high-waist pencil skirt with a ruffled white silk blouse. Black Jimmy Choos and a black headband completed the outfit along with a black and white Coach bag. _Perfect_, he mused. Just like always, there was not a curl out of place. When he first got her text saying she would be late, he was kind of shocked. He was under the impression that she had never been late for anything in her life. She was starting to confuse him. Just when he thought he had her all figured out, she did a complete 180. She had a perfect school attendance record and she had never been late for anything! Yet, she had missed a day of school and she had been late for work today. It just wasn't making sense. The girl in front of him could not be the same girl from the papers his P.I. had sent him.

Blair must have felt his eyes boring into her because she stopped whatever she had been working on to look up and meet his gaze.

"Is there something else I can help you with Bass?" She faked a smile, inwardly rolling her eyes.

"As a matter of fact, there is," he answered, smirking at her translucent façade. "You know. It puzzles me. For such a busy girl, you seem to have the disappearing act down pact with little or no explanation of your previous whereabouts. First with the doctor's office, then Wednesday night, and now today. Care to enlighten me?" he pondered, using the best I'm in charge voice he could muster as he walked towards her.

"Non monsieur Bass. Again…it was nothing majorly scandalous. If you must know where I was today, I was in a meeting," she replied in a false bored tone, not fighting the eye roll this time. She didn't notice the slip. It rarely happened, only when she was really mad, irritated, or panicked. In this case, she was panicked. She needed to distract him from asking too many questions. Damn him for being over observant of her "antics" or so he called them.

"A meeting?" he questioned, taking the bait, the beginning of her sentence throwing him off guard. He had never really noticed it before, but for a girl from France, she sure as hell never spoke French. He stole a second to peek over her shoulder to see what she had prepared for today.

"That is what I said, is it not?" She raised her eyebrow at him, daring him to make her repeat herself. She hated having to say something more than once. She felt that she was important enough to be heard the first time around. When someone repeated themselves, it made them look like an idiot.

"What kind of meeting _Waldorf_?" he pushed. He was half hoping she wouldn't bust out in French. It was one of the only languages he had never bothered to learn. They had said French was the language of love. Chuck had scoffed at that idea. Love was a nonexistent feeling and therefore, the language itself was useless in his eyes, but now, hearing the words fall effortlessly from her deep red lips, he couldn't help but feel a little turned on by it.

Blair sighed in defeat, "Not the type that you're used to."

"If by that you mean classy and beneficial, then I would have to agree. I couldn't see you in a business meeting." He chuckled lightly.

"On the contrary Bass, I was referring to your AA meetings," she mused, slightly annoyed that he would underestimate what she was capable of doing. If she wanted to, she could do his job, possibly even better than the man himself.

He masked the frown almost as soon as it came. Forgetting his previous fantasy of Blair talking dirty to him in French, he opened his mouth to retort, but she beat him to it.

"Fine. I've been recruiting," she admitted.

"Recruiting?" he asked, raising his brow in question.

"Yes, for mean girls," she stated proudly. _Underestimate that Bass_.

"Mean girls? You mean minions? Like Jenny has?" he asked slightly confused.

"For God's sake Bass. If you insist on asking questions, at least have the decency to keep up!" she huffed, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest.

"I'm trying! It's not my fault you people speak in code!" he snapped back.

She had tried hard not to laugh at his perplexed statute, but in the end, she cracked.

Blair stifled her giggle, putting her hand over her mouth, which only served to infuriate him more. Not only did he not understand whatever the hell she was talking about, but she was now laughing at him.

"What?" he barked, clearly not amused.

His outburst only ended up making her giggle harder. _He was so cute when he was angry_, she thought as she fought to collect herself.

If he wasn't so frustrated, he might have noticed that her giggles echoing off the walls were definitely the best noise he had ever heard.

When she was finally able to contain her giggles, she took a deep breath, a smile still lingering on her lips.

"Kind of," she answered.

"Kind of what?" he asked, still a little humiliated from his obvious lack of knowledge.

"It's kind of like a minion." She smiled at him, his anger quickly disappeared. _How the hell did she do that?_

"What's the difference?" he questioned.

"Minions just follow you around and nod in agreement with anything you say. Mean girls…are sort of like...ladies in waiting, but mean," she revealed.

"And you have already chosen these girls?" It was more of a statement rather than a question. She nodded her head, so he continued. "You didn't think to run any of this by me?"

"No need. I had a list, narrowed the girls down myself," she supplied, motioning towards her bag where the list resided.

"A list?" She nodded again. "May I see it?" he questioned, holding his hand out.

"Don't try to sleep with them Bass," she warned him.

"What makes you think I haven't already?" he quipped.

Blair sent him a glare before she began to search through her bag. Opening her notebook, she pulled out the folded piece of paper and reluctantly handed it to her boss. Quietly, he observed it, turning it over in his hands before gently peeling the folds apart. Once the list was open, he smirked. There, scribbled across the page in Blair's neat writing, read:

**The Final Four**

**1. Ava Winchester**

**2. Isabel Coates**

**3. Katie Farkus**

**4. Gretchen Marquee**

He was impressed, truly. She had made a list of four girls, only two of which, he had slept with. He thought of the many smarmy comments he could say to her. _While I wouldn't mind spending a night with numbers two and four, I especially recommend numbers one and three. They were extremely talented with the things they could do._He paused, vaguely wondering if Blair had actually watched his homemade tapes. If she had, she sure as hell must have missed the one starring the fiery red head. He highly doubted that she had seen it, since the girl he was referring to happened to be the first person on her list. He must have been quiet for too long because the brunette was now staring at him expectantly.

"Well?" she asked, trying to read his face.

He looked up at her from the list in his hands before awkwardly coughing to clear his throat. Out of all the things he _could_have said, he decided that it was best to be honest. She was his friend and he didn't want to take this away from her.

"You did well. I'm impressed," he admitted, folding the paper back into a square. He handed it back to her.

She beamed at him. "I'm a Waldorf," she teased.

"True. I've come to expect the unexpected where you are concerned," he drawled out smoothly. She smirked. "However, I do wish you would have enlisted my help in recruiting. I'm part of this too," he stated seriously.

No sooner had the suggestion left his lips before Blair's laughter filled the room. He had lied. Compared to this, her giggles had been nothing. She didn't even try to contain herself as she laughed, quite literally, in his face. He wasn't sure what he said, but he desperately wanted to be let in on the joke.

"What is it now _Waldorf_?" he ground out. He was getting tired of playing the part of her private punch line.

"Nothing," she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I was just thinking what a list developed by you would consist of."

"And what might that be?" Chuck inquired. For a guy who knew everything, Blair Waldorf made him ask an awful lot of questions.

"The only lists you, Chuck Bass, are capable of producing are the ones that come on a scale of one to ten, usually involving words along the lines of best blow job, greatest fuck, or something equally disgustingly barbaric," she answered, still smiling. He stared at her as if the world had just come to a standstill. Did those words really just come of her mouth or was it just wishful thinking on his part? He guessed from the smirk that played at the corner of her lips that he had heard right. He may not have noticed it at the time, but that was the first of many times that Blair Waldorf would render him, the great womanizing Chuck Bass, speechless.

His piercing green eyes on her, sent an involuntary chill down her spine. She had wondered if she had said something wrong. No one had ever made him that silent. That is, at least in the entire month and a half she had known him. Technically, it was a month, a week, and five days. Monday would mark the month and a half line, not that she was counting…at least not on purpose.

Chuck shook his head to gain control of the situation. He hated when someone other than himself had the upper hand, especially when that someone was a woman, not that he had ever had to experience that problem before. The petite brunette in front of him was really starting to irk him. He slid on a face of indifference as he decided it would probably be best if he stayed on guard and alert around her. Failure to do so might cost him everything he had worked for, the money, the random women, the booze, and hell, probably even his home. She was dangerous and manipulative. He wasn't about to let her just waltz in and change his life.

"True," he deadpanned, not caring to elaborate.

Blair had felt the shift in the room. Chuck's eyes had turned cold and emotionless. The tension fell thick in the air between them. The worst part was, not only could she not figure out the reason behind the hard stare, she also wasn't aware how things had lead them there. She stared at him intently, locking her questioning almost black eyes to his guarded green ones. After what had felt like minutes, Blair's phone vibrated. She broke the conflicting staring contest to check her phone, _1 new message_. She flipped her phone open to read whatever her savior had sent her.

**How's the dear brother doing B? World war three break out? ;-) – S**

Ok or maybe not so much a savior as it was an annoying reminder.

"I should really try to finish my studies," she decided aloud as she cleared her throat awkwardly. She shut her phone and placed it back in her bag. She diverted her eyes back to the task at hand, not daring to glance back at him as she did so.

He nodded silently before retreating to his desk to work on his unfinished business. He had been too preoccupied waiting for Blair to concentrate earlier. He couldn't figure out why he cared so much. It had pissed him off. It bothered him if he didn't know what she was up to all the time, where she was, what she was doing or who she was with. It shouldn't even matter to him, but for some reason it did. He was driving himself crazy trying to figure it out. Finally, he had given up and decided that the only reason he cared was because _she_ was driving him crazy. Once he had sex with her, he wouldn't care anymore. He would be free of her. The only reason he wanted her so bad was because he hadn't had her. As the saying goes, you always want what you can't have. He had never actually believed that statement. Then again, he had never had anything that couldn't be bought.

Chuck had waited in an hour of silence before he couldn't take it anymore. He had been contemplating whether or not to ask the question that had been trapped in the front of his mind.

"Waldorf?" he asked, breaking their unspoken agreement to gain her attention as he looked up from his work to focus on her

"Yes Bass," Blair stated, meeting his eyes once again. She had finished her flash cards and moved on to math by the time he had actually acknowledged her presence again. His voice had caught her off guard.

"I thought Isabel Coates was one of Jenny's followers," Chuck said, voicing what had been on his mind.

"She was." Blair smirked.

"How did you manage to get her?" he questioned. Maybe Blair's determination was a little too dangerous. He was starting to realize that she could be his equal. She seemed to stop at nothing to get what she wanted. Together, they could do major damage, but to turn that power against each other, could be fatal.

"It wasn't that hard. She wasn't as much a follower as she was a gossiper. She liked to hang around Jenny so she could have all of the latest dirt. Her best friend Katie is just as bad, which is why I recruited her. Together, they could do anything if they set their mind to it," she informed him.

Hmm…exactly what he had just been thinking. If Blair and him would plot together, they could run the entire school.

"Explain to me how you did it," Chuck persuaded. He wanted to further evaluate her thoughts, see how she manipulated to get her way to see if maybe they could work something out.

Blair began telling him the events of what had happened that afternoon.

* * *

Blair had stopped at the door to wait for Serena. After the blonde had come to a stop beside her, she took a deep breath.

"Here we go." Blair smiled as she pushed through the door, her best friend beaming at her side. She didn't want Serena to follow behind her like another one of her girls. She wanted to show her that they were equal and that she didn't expect her to answer to her.

They entered the living room where their guest were gathered around waiting. It was completely quiet when the two walked in.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why I've asked you girls are here," Blair said, announcing her presence, ice mask in place.

All the girls looked up from what they were doing at the sound of her voice.

"For those of you who don't know who we are or haven't had the pleasure of meeting us, I'm Blair Waldorf and this is my best friend Serena van der Woodsen." Blair paused, calling Dorota for tea. "It's quite simple. I want to take down the queen and in order to that, I need followers to support my actions."

"What do I have to do with any of this?" Is asked, being the first one of the girls to speak.

"I will explain. If I don't answer your questions, you can ask again once I am finished," she said, addressing all of the females present. When no one said anything, she continued, "I have specifically chosen you four girls to be a part of a group called the mean girls. Each of you has been evaluated in great detail. I have even taken the liberty to have background checks run. Let me make myself clear when I say that you girls are very lucky to be in the position that you are in now. I would like to offer each of you a spot behind me when I take queen for myself. Now Isabel, I am well aware that you follow Jenny, but I assure you it would be in your best interest to switch sides. Little J is about to be destroyed and I'm sure you don't want to be burnt into ashes with her. You have a choice. It's up to you. You can either stand behind me and be loyal or fall off the social ladder all together. It's up to you. Chose wisely. I doubt there will be much to gossip about at the bottom of the food chain," she threatened.

"What is a mean girl required to do?" Gretchen asked, twirling her Hello Kitty ring on her finger.

Blair smiled at her. "I'm glad you asked Gretchen. As a mean girl, you will stand behind me and support anything I may say or do, no questions asked. You will be required to attend all social functions, throw the hottest parties, avoid scandals, and look fabulous while doing so. I have made a list of rules for each one of you." she said while Serena started to hand each girl her list. "If anyone objects or feels like they can't handle what I ask of them, then you can feel free to leave. I won't hold it against you. Not everyone is cut out for it, but I can't promise that I won't make your life a living hell. If you chose to stay however, you will become celebrities on the Upper East Side."

The girls looked over their list of demands. It was simple. What to wear, what not to wear, what guys to avoid, things you could and could not do as a mean girl, – the basic list of all things high school democracy.

When no one made a move to leave, Blair smirked at Serena. She went over the rules with the girls and they discussed her plan of action. Blair had even offered a girls' night the following evening at club Marquee, one of the hottest clubs in New York City that Gretchen's father happened to own. After everything was planned, the girls said goodbye one by one. Blair wasn't sure about Ava. She was way too quiet and to be honest, there was something about her that she couldn't put her finger on, but it was off. Up close, she looked really familiar, but she just waved off the coincidence and decided that it was probably because she had been watching her from afar all week.

Serena let out a long sigh. "That was certainly interesting. I don't know how you do it. You made a list of demands and not a single girl objected."

Blair giggled. "You have to show them who is in charge."

The elevator dinged again, both girls looked at each other confused.

"In case you failed to notice, the meeting is over. You were dismissed," Blair announced.

"Blair darling, do you always have to answer the door with that behavior?" her mother scolded as she appeared out of the foyer.

The brunette imminently stood up. "Mother, I thought you wouldn't be joining us until dinner," she said, tripping over her words.

"I had a client cancel last minute. I swear the entire world is incompetent." Eleanor frowned. "Wait, why are you not at work?"

"I'm about to leave now. I had a few things that I had to finish before I could go in," she defended quietly.

"Blair dear, don't ruin this for me. I cannot risk you being late to work. Mr. Bass is doing us a favor. It would be in your best interest to make an effort," she reminded her as she noticed they were not alone. "Who is this?" she asked, motioning towards the blonde.

"Oh! Mother, this is my best friend Serena van der Woodsen. Her mother is chairwoman for just about everything and Serena is Chuck's sister," Blair introduced.

"Stepsister," Serena corrected, sticking her hand out for Blair's mother to shake. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You're Lillian van der Woodsen's daughter?" Eleanor asked, intrigued that her daughter had obviously gotten into the right crowd.

"That would be me." The blonde smiled bubbly, trying to avoid the fact that her mother's last name was no longer van der Woodsen.

"Well Blair, I have to say, I approve," her mother stated, referring to her newly appointed best friend. "I need to run along. I have some things to finish in my office. You need to get to work. Serena darling, it was a pleasure. I hope that you come over again soon," she said, walking from the room.

Blair frowned. "I guess I should go."

"Yeah, I have to meet up with Nate anyway." Her best friend smiled, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Call me later?" the brunette asked.

"Text me while you're at work. Don't let my brother be too hard on you." The blonde winked as she made her way to the elevator, leaving Blair to get dressed for her "shift" at Bass.

* * *

As Blair finished telling her story, leaving out the actual plan, Chuck took a deep breath.

"Well, it seems like you had it all taken care of," he mused.

"I told you I didn't need your approval," she teased.

"Well, I stand corrected." Chuck smirked.

"It wasn't the first and I can assure you it won't be the last," she chided.

"So...You're having a girls' night tomorrow?" he asked playfully.

"I am, no boys allowed. Nate will be with his cousin that is coming into town. So, that leaves you alone. What will you be doing?" she questioned.

"It's not what I will be doing. It's who." He smirked. "With Nate gone and you keeping Serena busy, I can be discreet, all night."

"Gross Bass. I feel so bad for the woman forced to marry you," Blair said, scrunching her nose in disgust.

"First of all, marriage and Chuck Bass should never be used in the same sentence. Secondly, if I do choose to marry, it will be for money, not for something as ridiculous as love," he admitted, slightly offended that she would think otherwise.

"Of course you would. I can see it now plastered all over page six...After only five months of marriage, the Tiger Woods syndrome strikes again and this time, it wears purple." She giggled, a Chuckle escaping from his lips.

"Please. If I were him, I would have a lot more than ten in the first month of marriage," he smarmed. "If it makes you feel better, you can be my number one."

Blair rolled her eyes. "I think I'll pass."

"You sure? I figured you would love the attention." He winked.

"Positive," she stated flatly.

"Great. Now that that's settled…" He smirked, walking over to her with a folder in hand. "I need five hundred copies of this."

She took the folder and flipped it open. "Are you serious Bass? It's a freaking memo. Can't you just send it through your Blackberry or something?" she asked, annoyed.

"I could, but I feel like it's more fun this way." He teased, retreating to his desk.

Blair huffed before getting up and walking towards the door. She sent him a hard glare as she walked out of the room to go down the hall to the copy room.

He just loved to annoy her a little too much.

* * *

The next day at lunch, Blair and Serena stood with Nate and Chuck waiting for the girls to arrive. One by one, they gathered around the group, causing the boys to look at each other in confusion. Once all the girls had gotten there, Blair turned to Chuck.

"This shouldn't take long. Find us in five?" she asked playfully.

"Sure, where are you guys going?" he inquired. All he got was a wink in response.

Serena pulled her boyfriend into a quick kiss on the lips.

"This should only take a minute." She smiled, pulling away from him, leaving him behind still confused.

"Let's do this." The blonde smirked.

Blair slid her mask on and walked first, Serena at her side. Ava and Gretchen were behind them, followed by Katie and Is, creating a pyramid type formation as they made their way to the Met steps.

"Where are they going?" Nate asked.

"It's Blair," Chuck answered. "She is going to find Jenny."

"That is like social suicide!" the blonde gasped.

"She can handle herself. Come on. Let's follow them," he said, walking at a safe distance towards their secret smoking spot. That way they could hear everything that was going on and not be seen. Reluctantly, Nate followed his brunette best friend.

When the girls reached the Met steps, they stopped.

"Get up," Blair demanded, towering over the tiny blonde that faced away from her.

Her minions looked up at the sound of her voice, causing Jenny to look at their faces before turning around.

"Excuse me?" she scoffed.

"You heard me. Move. I won't repeat myself," she clarified.

Jenny stood slowly. "Why?"

"I want to sit here," the brunette deadpanned.

"Well, that's too bad. This seat is reserved for the queen," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly, looking around to make sure Chuck wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Exactly. You have only been queen for a year. You had your crown handed to you by Georgina Sparks, who by the way, I have had the pleasure of ruining last year in France. I, however, have been queen since my freshmen year when I dethroned the senior queen. So, I think it goes without saying that I should get what's rightfully mine," Blair informed her.

"You can't just waltz in and take something that isn't yours," Jenny huffed.

"Watch me," Blair challenged.

"You can't just appoint yourself queen, Blair," the tiny queen announced.

"I can and I will. Now grab your stuff. You will be sitting elsewhere today." She smirked.

"What if I object?" the blonde questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"You've already been dethroned little J. Do you really want me to air all of your dirty laundry?" Blair asked, feigning concern.

"You're bluffing," Jenny stated.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not, but do you really want to try me? I mean, I can always let your private information slip up. You should really pay attention to who you tell your secrets to. Not everyone is reliable and in the wrong hands that kind of information could be dangerous," Blair noted.

"She's not bluffing Jenny. Be smart. Just leave," Serena agreed.

Chuck elbowed Nate and emerged from where they were hiding to walk towards their girls.

Jenny glared at Serena and Blair before noticing Is.

"Nice to see where your loyalty lies Isabel," she spat, gathering her belongings, her minions following her actions.

The mean girl shrugged, each giving their own version of a smirk as they boys joined them.

Chuck wrapped his arms around Blair and placed a kiss to her temple before giving Jenny a pointed stare.

Nate embarrassed Serena in a side hug kissing her deeply on the lips.

Jenny's eyes filled with tears at the sight of Chuck with Blair.

"This isn't over Blair," she threatened.

"Aw J. Don't be a sore loser because I have everything you worked so hard for. Trust me. I can't help it. It's natural," Blair chastised. Chuck vaguely wondered if it did just naturally come to her. "Some people have it, some people don't, and in this case, I guess you just... don't."

Jenny stormed off with the little bit of dignity she had left, her minions falling in step behind her.

"That was kind of hot," Chuck stated, arms still securely in place.

"I have never seen you stand up to anyone before. It was so…" Nate started, losing his words as he looked at Serena.

"Hot?" Chuck provided helpfully.

"Yes! Exactly. You were so sexy," the blonde boy murmured, kissing her on the lips over and over.

Blair pulled out of Chuck's embrace to take her seat at the top of the steps where Jenny had been seated previously. Everyone followed, sitting below her with the exception of her "boyfriend", best friend, and Nate.

The conversation was steady. Ava kept trying to catch Chuck's eyes when Blair wasn't paying attention. He avoided her gaze. While she was attractive, the thought of sleeping with her a second time made him cringe. He wondered when Blair would notice her mistake.

* * *

**Gossip girl here with a new queen in tow. As rumor has it, there was an epic J and B throw down. Miss the crossfire? Lucky for you, I'm streaming the video. B, along with S, C, N, and…mean girls…were spotted dethroning the queen of Constance with not even her minions to back her up. Let's compare rivals.**

**_The new_ -**

**American hottie raised in France.**

**Old money.**

**Daughters of high end fashion designers and chairwomen.**

**Being the girlfriends of our favorite bad boy devil himself, Chuck Bass, and best friend dreamy lacrosse captain, Nate Archibald.**

**USE **_**It **_**girls.**

**Mean girls.**

**_The old_ -**

**Brooklyn nobodies.**

**No money,**

**Daughters of washed up musicians.**

**Being in love with your adopted step brother…Can you say Cruel Intentions?**

**Being single.**

**Minions.**

**Out with the old and in with the new! I for one am welcoming our new queen with open arms. Seems to me that there are going to be quite a few changes around here. Hopefully B isn't as pathetic as our last queen. The battle may be over, but is the war?**

**You know you love me.**

**XOXO**

**Your ever loyal Gossip Girl**

* * *

Blair and Serena stood at their lockers after school, grabbing every book they might possibly need over the weekend.

"Who is Jenny's adopted step brother?" Blair asked, voicing what had been bothering her since the blast.

"Huh?" the blonde questioned, feigning ignorance.

"Gossip Girl…She mentioned that Jenny was in love with her adopted step brother. Who is he?" the brunette inquired.

"I um…You should ask…" Serena started nervously.

"Chuck," Blair said, cutting her off, confusion clouding her face.

"Exactly!" her best friend smiled, relieved.

"Wait, what?" she asked, looking at her friend. She must have missed something.

"Chuck," the blonde answered. "You said Chuck…I said exactly."

"No! I mean Chuck," she corrected, pointing over her friend's shoulder.

Serena glanced behind her. Sure enough, there was her brother, Chuck, walking purposely towards them.

"Why? What did you mean?" Blair asked, suddenly realizing that there was something the blonde was keeping from her.

"I…I um…" Serena began, stalling, waiting for Chuck to close the last few feet between them and save her.

"Ladies." Chuck smirked. "Who are we gossiping about today?"

Blair focused her attention on her faux boyfriend as did Serena.

"I figured the great Chuck Bass knew everything," Blair stated, locking eyes with him and returning the smirk.

"I am a bitch when I want to be," he mused, giving her his best I know you want me look.

"Right…" Serena said, eyeing them skeptically. She had never really paid attention before, but watching the flirty banter between her brother and best friend kind of made her uncomfortable.

"Anyway, what are we talking about?" Chuck asked, looking at Serena expectantly.

She gave him the not right now glare before Blair spoke up.

"We were just talking about Jenny's adopted stepbrother," the brunette clarified innocently.

Chuck's playful vibe immediately vanished.

"You told her?" he questioned through gritted teeth.

"No of course not!" Serena defended.

"Told me what?" Blair asked. O_k, so now she knew something was up_.

"Nothing," the two siblings mumbled in union.

Blair huffed. "I hate secrets more than anything," she revealed.

"It's not a secret B. It's just…not my…" Serena started.

"Story to tell," Blair finished for her. The blonde nodded, so she continued, "You know I'm getting really tired of hearing that."

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you. It's not my place," her friend apologized sincerely before giving a pointed look towards her brother. "But someone should…"

"It doesn't concern her," Chuck responded flatly.

"What doesn't concern me?" Blair raised her voice, frustrated that they were talking about her like she wasn't there.

"You guys are dating Chuck. I think she has a right to know," Serena scoffed, standing her ground.

"Who I choose to share my personal business with is none of your concern," he returned.

Blair stood there listening to the conversation before she remembered the whole reasoning behind the argument.

"Wait! What does any of this have to do with Jenny?" she interrupted.

Both friends turned to look at her. They had forgotten that they were not alone.

Serena offered her a comforting smile and then returned her focus to the boy in front of her.

"What did you need Chuck?" she asked, changing the subject for her friends sake.

"I was coming to inform you that I was going out tonight and to offer you my limo for your girls' night. I'll have it sent over around eight," he said, glaring at her.

"Next time you should just send a text," the blonde retorted.

"There won't be a next time," Chuck sneered before turning to walk away. "Don't wait up," he called loudly, not bothering to turn around to make sure they had heard him.

After Chuck was no longer visible, Blair looked to Serena waiting for an explanation.

The blonde glanced at her best friend's expression and sighed. She knew there was no avoiding the conversation that was sure to follow.

She stuck her hand out to silence the brunette before she could even speak.

"Not here, not now, but soon," she stated, nodding her head in defeat, causing Blair to smirk. She knew she had won.

* * *

Hours later, Blair and Serena were ready to hit the club. They were just waiting for Katie and Is to arrive. The limo should have been there by eight. It was now about ten minutes after.

Blair had decided to leave her hair down, her chocolate curls tumbling down her back. She had on a pink pastel mini dress that was still conservative and silver Milano stilettos. She wore a thin silver headband that was almost unnoticeable in her thick dark locks and a shiny silver Prada clutch. Serena had chosen a black sequin mini dress, black and green Jimmy Choo open toed straps, and a matching cheetah print Jimmy Choo clutch. She wore her hair down in long golden waves.

Everyone was overexcited when Katie and Is finally made an appearance. They quickly headed out the door for the awaiting limo.

Once inside, Serena grabbed six glasses and popped open a bottle of champagne. Pouring some in each glass, she passed them down the line.

When everyone had their drinks, Serena raised her glass for a toast.

"To Blair and her success. May her new reign be long and joyous, out with the old and in with the new." She smiled, winking at her best friend. Everyone agreed and clinked their glasses.

"This is a really nice limo," Katie praised.

"Yeah! I was just thinking the same thing! You guys have amazing taste," Is agreed.

"Thank you. It's Chuck's actually, but I'll be sure to pass on the compliment," Blair chuckled, sipping her champagne.

"Wow, Chuck let you use his limo. I guess that means it's serious," Ava commented.

"That's what I said!" Serena giggled. "I was just as surprised."

"What's the big deal? It's just a limo," Blair asked.

"It's not just a limo. It's Chuck's limo. Before you came around, I had never been able to borrow it. He always made me take a cab," Serena said, giving her a knowing glance.

"It's complicated," Blair sighed. How right she was even if she hadn't noticed it just yet.

"I heard that he never lets anyone use it. It's like sacred or something," Is helped.

"You guys are overreacting. He is my _boyfriend_ and it's not a big deal if I get to use his limo," Blair reasoned, wondering why he was doing something he had never done before. Was the plan working already? No, he let her use it the first night she had met Serena. Did that mean he already had feelings for her before? She was so confused.

"Someone's in love," Gretchen teased.

Blair opened her mouth to disagree with her when the limo came to a stop outside of Marquee.

Chuck's driver opened the door and the girls filed out.

They gained entry immediately since they were like royalty to the Upper East Side. It helped that Gretchen was with them.

They headed straight for the bar to order drinks before grabbing a table in the back and heading for the dance floor.

Chuck sat at a bar in Manhattan. It wasn't the type of place that a teenager would be seen, so he knew he was safe from the cameras of high school. He really needed to relax and in order to do that, he needed some scotch and some women. Unfortunately, scotch was easier to get. He had been turning girls down all night. It wasn't that he didn't want it. He did, bad. It was just the only girls to approach him were way below his standards or he had already slept with them. In both cases, the thought alone made him cringe. There were three things that he never did under any circumstances. He never slept with the same girl twice. He never slept with virgins at least not since freshmen year and he never ever even considered taking a girl home. That's what his suite was for, not his house. His room was his sanctuary. No female aside from Serena had ever been inside of it. He liked it that way. He was the only person to ever sleep in his bed and his whores usually assumed his suite was where he lived. So, he never had to worry about some scorned slut banging on his door in the middle of the night.

"Gin and tonic please," a female requested, breaking Chuck from his thoughts as she slipped onto the stool beside him.

He spared her a glance. She was skinny, tall, and had short dirty blonde hair. _I can work with that_. He smirked into his glass.

"Put them on my tab," he said, speaking to the bartender, not looking up from his glass. _Women are too easy._

"That was nice. Thank you Mr.…?" The girl smiled flirtatiously at him.

"I'm Chuck Bass." He smirked.

"Yes, well, thank you Mr. Bass," she said as the bartender handed her the gin and tonic.

"Please. Call me Chuck," he encouraged, taking a sip of scotch.

"Ok _Chuck._" She smiled coyly into her drink.

The conversation flowed easy enough with the usual questions, what do you do for a living, are you seeing anyone, how old are you. Of course, she was impressed with him and swooning over his every word. This girl was too easy, but he didn't care. He needed it. He wasn't in the position to be picky tonight. A few too many drinks on her part later, he leaned over to kiss her. After their heated make out session, they pulled apart panting.

"Your place or mine?" she asked, kissing his jaw line.

"Mine," he stated.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing her purse off the bar.

"One second. I need to make a phone call." He excused himself, walking toward the hallway in the back that led to the restrooms.

* * *

Serena had been dancing by herself in the heart of the dance floor when she had felt her phone start to vibrate. She had stumbled and weaved her way through the thick crowd of people. Heading towards the bathrooms as quickly as her drunken legs would take her, she pulled the device from where it was securely placed in her bra as she went. Upon reaching the door, she slid it open without bothering to look at the I.D., assuming it was her ever loving boyfriend.

"Hello!" her voice sang down the line as she attempted to fix her messy golden locks in the closest mirror.

"Hey sis," Chuck drawled, voice cracking through the other end.

"Chuck" she stated, slightly disappointed that it wasn't Nate.

"What time do you plan on returning home tonight?" his voice asked innocently.

"I don't think I will be…I um…" Hiccup "…think I'm just going to stay at Blair's," she slurred in response.

"Oh ok," he said, amused at his sister's drunken state.

"Why?" she asked, checking out her appearance.

"I just wanted to make sure that you would be safe," he lied easily.

"What did you really want Chuck?" she questioned, not falling for the thinly masked lie. She knew her brother better than to think he was just being thoughtful. He was up to something.

"Is it wrong for a brother to call and check up on his dear sister?" She could practically feel him smirking on the opposite end.

"For you? Yes," she dead panned.

"Fine," he sighed, admitting defeat. "I require my limo for about an hour. I was making sure you ladies wouldn't need it."

"No, we won't. I think we are going to be here for a while," she said, once she was pleased with her appearance.

"Do you know where he might be?" he asked, trying to keep her on the phone to find out what his little brunette beauty might be up to. He was trying to see where they stood after his idiotic one man show. He couldn't figure out why he didn't want her to know about him. He just knew it would bother him if she found out from someone else.

"I don't know Chuck. You would have to ask him!" Serena answered, irritated by his failed attempt to distract her.

"Oh…ok," he mumbled.

"Is that all? Or would you like me to recite the entire night's conversation word for word?" she huffed.

"Well, now that you mention it, what did you say to her?" he inquired casually.

"If by that you mean did I tell her about you…then the answer is no," Serena said honestly.

Chuck let out an audible breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding.

"But…" the blonde continued. "If you don't tell her by her birthday, I will."

"Birthday? She didn't mention her birthday was coming up," he returned.

"You don't know your own girlfriend's birthday!" Serena gasped incredulously.

"She never told me when it was," he defended.

"Well, it's November 17th, so I suggest you tell her before then or I will the day after," she informed him, noticing she suddenly didn't feel so well. "And I suggest you do something nice for it."

"When's the party?" he asked.

"Next Fri…Uh oh," she said, feeling the vile rise in her throat. She put her hand over her mouth. "I got to go!" She rushed, snapping her phone shut as she ran for the nearest stall to release the pressure building from her alcohol filled stomach.

_Shit!_ Chuck thought as he redialed Serena's number only to have it go straight to voice mail He pressed the end button. He thought for a second before deciding to hit the number six on his phone, the recently added fifth person on his speed dial. _Pick up!_ he mentally willed as he held the phone to his ear, beginning to feel anxious. After the eighth ring, the voice mail clicked over.

_Hey, you've reached Blair. I am either too busy to answer your call…or I'm screening it. Either way, leave a message and if you're lucky, I might actually listen to it, unless this is Chuck Bass, in which case, don't. The only thing I want to hear from you is an explanation._ Beep.

_Fuck_, he cursed, ending the call. He settled for calling Arthur. He knew something was wrong. After the call to his driver, he sent a text to Nate, telling him to meet him at Marquee where the girls were supposed to have gone. He wasn't too worried about Serena, but he knew she was a wild child and since she was the only female that he actually cared for, he wanted to stop by and check up on her. He just didn't want anything to happen to her.

"Look I'll have to take a rain check. I need to make a few stops before I can go home," he told the blonde waiting by the bar when he came back.

"But I thought we were going to…you know," she said, batting her eyelashes as she put her hand around his arm.

"Yes, well, there's a change in plans. My sister needs me," Chuck drawled, trying to shake the girl before Arthur arrived.

"Don't leave," she begged. "Or at least let me come with you."

She was annoying him. He hated needy females and that was exactly what she was being.

"No," he scoffed, noticing a black limo pull up.

"Why not?" the girl pouted, still clinging to his arm. He knew he was going to have to be more succinct.

"Because I never take my whores to meet my family. Find someone else to fuck." He glared at her, removing her hand as he walked towards his limo.

* * *

Blair stood at the bar ordering another round for her girls when she felt a man approach her. She gave him a quick glance over her shoulder. Not bad, she thought to herself. She had to admit he was hot. He had gelled brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and this season's Armani attire. Even from a glance, she could tell that he was made of money and that a certain superior attitude radiated off of him. As hot as he was, he was no Chuck Bass. Why was that even relevant? How was it that every time she thought about something, it always ended up going back to _him_? She didn't have time to further investigate her overactive mind. The stranger's voice cut through her silent self questioning.

"Put the ladies' drinks on my tab Sam," he drawled confidently to the bartender in front of them.

Blair smirked. Without looking, she denied his request. "No need Sam."

The bartender, Sam, nodded his head at her as he finished preparing the order.

"I've never known a woman to turn down a free drink," the man commented, amused at the girl's rejection.

"They are free, compliments of the house. It pays to have connections," Blair bit out as she rolled her eyes_. Typical American boy. _She hadn't been trying to be rude. She was just irritated with herself and he was the closest target to unleash her current frustrations on.

"Excuse me for trying to buy a beautiful lady, such as yourself, a drink" he apologized, still amused with the fierce brunette standing next to him.

"I'm sure that's all you were trying to do." She smirked at him.

"I assure you. All I wanted was a drink. Perhaps I had hoped a conversation would follow," he told her.

"I'm having a girls' night," she deadpanned. Then again, _this could work_, she thought before changing her mind. "But, who knows? I'm feeling generous. You may be in luck."

He smiled. "So, does the lucky boy get to know your name?" he asked.

"Blair Waldorf," she answered as she stuck out her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Waldorf," he responded, picking up her hand and placing a chaste kiss across her knuckles before lowering it. "The name's Carter Baizen."

* * *

**A/N**: Thanks for the lovely reviews.. and Thank you ggfan and cakebakery, I love hearing what you you all have to say. Please fill free to R&R!

"Girls only"- Har Mar Superstar


	7. Girls do what they want

"_It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Waldorf." He responded by picking up her hand and placing a chaste kiss across her knuckles before lowering it, "The name's Carter Baizen."_

* * *

"You know Mr. Baizen, _my boyfriend_ probably wouldn't appreciate you intimately touching what he considers his," Blair chided as he released her hand.

"Your boyfriend?" he asked quizzically. She nodded as an answer, raising her brow.

"Well then, _he_ is a lucky boy." Carter stated. Hiding his dismay at the fact that the beautiful girl was taken.

"You could say that." She winked. _She liked this game_.

"I'm not one to impose," he lied. "As I said before, it was a pleasure to meet you. Enjoy your night."

"Don't you want to meet my friends?" she teased playfully. Grabbing a few of her drinks, she left the others for him to carry for her.

"Of course," he agreed. If he wasn't going to hook up with her, he could always bag a friend. He grabbed the rest of the drinks and followed her into the crowd, watching her hips swing from behind.

"Hey guys I want you to meet my new _friend_." Blair smiled slightly at the sight of her open mouthed friends. They knew Carter was trouble; they also knew that he and Chuck were not exactly the best of friends.

"Ladies," he acknowledged taking a seat beside Blair.

"Where is Serena?" she asked looking around.

"Serena?" Carter questioned, intrigued.

"Yes, my best friend Serena van der Woodsen," the newly appointed queen answered.

"Serena and I go way back, were good friends," he mused. Blair made a mental note to ask her friend how she knew Carter.

"Last time I saw her she was on the dance floor." Gretchen mentioned helpfully.

"She should show up sooner or later." Blair stated waving off her concern as she focused on the task at hand, drinking her martini.

"That's Serena for you, you never really know what she is up to," Carter said, placing his arm on the back of the booth behind Blair.

* * *

Chuck had arrived at the club before Nate. After stating his name he got in, no questions asked. He immediately started the hunt for his inebriated sister. He didn't want anybody taking advantage of her. If there was one thing the blonde excelled in it was partying. He had made his way past the dance floor and bar, that's when he spotted his enemy chatting up his supposed girlfriend. His emerald green eyes latched on to them. His lungs constricting, as if he had taken a blow to the gut. Unable to breath, he couldn't stop the fleeting panic that swelled in his chest. Unwanted thoughts rushed his mind in a blur.

The color crimson clouding his vision, he marched toward Blair and her friends with his fist clinched to his sides.

Is felt uncomfortable with the way Carter was blatantly hitting on Blair in front of them. Although the brunette seemed oblivious to him, she decided to do something about it.

"Blair, "she addressed earning the queens attention. "Where is your boyfriend tonight?"

"I.." Blair started.

"Yes Blair, where is your beloved boyfriend?" Chuck asked coldly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Watching in satisfied amusement as her body tensed at the sound.

"Chuck!" Carter smirked. "How nice to see you again," he acknowledged, moving his arm to Blair's shoulders.

"Get your hands off my girlfriend." Chuck bit out evenly, his tone threatening. His impassive, cold exterior contrasting greatly with barely contained, rage filled orbs.

Blair sat frozen. She didn't know what to do. She had never seen him that enraged, hell she hadn't even looked at him yet! All she had to do was listen to his ice cold voice to know that he was beyond livid. _Why?_ She had no idea.

"Chuck Bass is your boyfriend?" Carter shot anincredulous look atBlair, amused at such a ridiculous thought.

Blair just nodded her head and rolled her eyes while she sipped away at her drink.

"Relax Bass, I didn't know she was yours." Carter offered honestly, turning his attention to his old protégé.

"Like it would have made a difference," Chuck spat heatedly. "Get away from her, _now_."

"I have to admit, I never thought the great Chuck Bass would finally stop fucking everything in his line of vision and settle down." Carter teased, clearly enjoying the show.

"Well I have, now get the hell away from her." Chuck fumed, pulling Blair out of the seat by her arm. He grip not violent, just firm. He didn't want people thinking he was a women beater. He was just pissed to see Cartertouching something that belonged to him.

"Chuck." Blair addressed calmly in a way to sooth away his anger. "Calm down. Its fine. we were just talking." She assured him softly, rubbing his arm trying to relieve some of the tension in them.

He glared at her.

"It's never just taking to him Blair," he whispered harshly through gritted teeth.

"What's going on here?" Nate asked, appearing in front of them.

"Nothing," Chuck answered not taking his eyes off Blair. "Carter was just leaving."

"I don't believe I was, Bass. I think I may want to hang around for this." Carter corrected, amusement dancing in his eyes as he leaned back to make himself comfortable.

"You will leave. Now. Unless you want me to tell all of New York City the real reason you ditched your trust fund for a fanny pack," Chuck threatened.

"Empty threats are useless to me. You know I have just as much dirt on you." Carter mused, openly leering at the beautiful brunette that Chuck was attempting to shield.

"Carter…" Nate warned standing beside his best friend as reinforcement.

"Fine, have it your way," he sneered as he lazily slid out from his seat. He walked up to Chuck and leaned toward his ear, "Its not like it matters, we both know she will be screaming my name, begging me for it later." Carter whispered menacingly as he stocked out of the club with a smirk on his face. Chuck stood un-moving, fury spread through his body like white coals. His enemy's parting words replayed in his mind.

"What did he say?" Blair questioned innocently, she wasn't really sure what just happened. _Did she just make Chuck jealous? She had to admit, it was hot. In a dangerous kind of way._

"Nothing," Chuck answered coldly.

Nate just gave him a knowing glance while smiling to himself.

"Why are you two even here?" she wondered irritably, suddenly remembering her girls night that they had crashed.

"Well," Nate spoke first. "I'm here because I received a cryptic text telling me that it was important that I meet him at this address." He gave a pointed took towards the dark haired boy silently brooding in front of him.

Blair looked to Chuck expectantly.. "What's your excuse?"

"I was talking to Serena on the phone when she hung up on me. I tried to call back and it went straight to voice-mail. I called you but you didn't answer either," he informed, glaring at her.

Blair blushed at the reminder of her newly changed voice-mail that he had obviously heard.

"Anyways… I figured she was intoxicated and may be in need of some assistance, so I came to check on her. I sent a text to Nate so he could help me find her." Chuck finished looking to Nate, who nodded in response.

"Where should we start? The last time I saw her she was dancing." Blair noted unhelpfully.

"What is the quietest room in this place? A place where someone would escape to receive a call?" Chuck asked, trying to divert his attention to something other than the small girl.

"Let's try the bathrooms, if I know my girlfriend that's where she would go to talk," the blonde responded.

All three walked through the crowded dance floor trying to avoid people's sweaty wandering grasps.

"Hey sexy!" A male voice purred as he slapped Blair on the ass. She opened her mouth to scold him for touching her in such a manner as Chuck glared at him.

"Keep your fucking hands to yourself if you know what's good for you." He growled pulling Blair close to him as he pushed his way to the restrooms, Nate close behind.

Chuck opened the door to the women's bathroom with one hand and tightened his hold on Blair with the other as he stepped inside.

"You can't be in here!" Blair gasped.

"I can and I will." Chuck spat looking at her with hatred.

Nate chose to stand outside the door and wait for them to return.

"You can let go of me now." Blair snapped jerking her arm out of grip.

"Where could she be?" he wondered aloud, un-phased by her rudeness.

Blair started to check the stalls.

"I don't know Bass. There are so many places to hide in here," she retorted sarcastically.

"It's not my fault you lost her in the first place!" Chuck fumed.

"I didn't lose her! She's a grown girl, it's not my job to watch over her!" Blair defended matching his tone; she abandoned her search for her friend in favor of marching toward the infuriating man.

"Well maybe if you were paying attention to your best friend instead of getting cozy with some creep that fucks anything, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Chuck yelled throwing his arms in the air.

"That's rich coming from a self proclaimed man whore. So is that what this is really about Bass? You're mad that I was talking to some guy? Earth to chuck we aren't in a real relationship! You are being used, just like you are using me! We don't mean anything to each other! You fuck sluts all the time, why does it matter if I…" Blair ranted inches from his face, stabbing him in the chest with her finger; she was beyond pissed at this point. She was cut off by a weak voice coming from the back of the room, the last stall.

"Blair?" Serena called out in a whisper.

Blair's eyes went wide as everything went deadly silent. Quickly she rushed toward the quiet voice of her best friend, Chuck at her heels. She swung the door open to the last stall revealing the gorgeous blonde lying on the tiles with her arms spread out. She was at her side in seconds, Chuck standing behind her at the door.

"Oh my god Serena what happened to you?" Blair gasped pushing the hair from her face.

"Blair." Serena rasped clinging to the frame of the small brunette.

"Chuck, tell Nate to get me some water." Blair demanded. He nodded and walked off to do as he was told.

"Nate and Chuck are here?" The blonde asked her voice breaking as she looked up to Blair, her eyes glossed over.

"God how much did you drink S?" she questioned not bothering to answer her as she put her hand to her head to check her temperature.

"I don't know, not that much," she admitted.

"Are you sick?" Blair inquired removing her hand when she was certain there was no fever.

"I don't know… I don't feel so well," she stated coughing.

"What happened?" she pushed trying to figure out how this might have happened.

"I'm not sure, I was dancing, then Chuck called, I came in here because I knew it would be quiet. And then… well the last thing I remember is talking to chuck, then I threw up." Serena informed her as she pulled herself into a sitting position leaning against her friend for support.

A few minutes later Chuck came back with a glass of ice water accompanied by a very worried Nate.

"Drink this," she demanded thrusting the glass into the blondes hands. Watching as she downed it instantly.

"Why don't we get out of here?" Chuck offered.

"Good idea man." Nate agreed, clasping him on the back before making his way to his girlfriend's side.

"You take Serena to the limo. We'll meet you there." Chuck nodded as he flipped open his phone to call for his driver. Nate pulled Serena into his arms and picked her up. She fastened her arms tightly around his neck and snuggled against his warm chest. Blair looked at the couple in envy silently wondering if she would ever find someone to love her like that. When Chuck hung up the phone she realized they were standing in the restroom alone.

"Well Waldorf, looks like we will be calling it an early night. You need a ride home?" he asked.

She could have said no, took a cab or had a friend take her home, but she decided that she would rather ride with them so she could make sure her best friend was okay. Even if she had her boyfriend and brother there to watch after her, Blair still wanted to be with her a little longer so she could see for herself. She nodded numbly at him as her answer.

"Great. Let's go say goodnight to your friends, shall we?" he asked, knowing that it would be rude of them to just leave.

She started walking towards the door, but he stepped in front of her and opened it before she got a chance.

"Ladies first," he smirked, feeling better now that he knew his sister was taken care of, but still pissed about his earlier run in.

She walked through the club in search of her friends, Chuck at her side with his hand on the small of her back guiding her.

All of the girls were whispering when she approached them.

"Ladies, it seems we will have to cut the night short, my sister is feeling a little unwell," he drawled smoothly.

They all swooned over his charade. Blair bit her lip fighting the urge to roll her eyes at his sleaziness.

"Would any of you lovely females like a _ride_ home?" Chuck asked slyly, smirking at how much they wanted him. He was doing it to annoy Blair since she infuriated him. He wanted her to have a taste of her own medicine. He had never openly hit on a girl in front of her. Maybe next time she will think twice before flaunting a male in front of him. The tiny voice in his head reminded him that he wasn't supposed to witness the exchange between her and Carter, but he didn't care. He half wondered what would have happened if he hadn't shown up. Would she have ended up going home with Carter? Would she have had sex with him? The man's words haunted his ears again. He locked his jaw so he wouldn't betray his emotions as he focused on what was going at the moment.

"No thank you," the girls answered in union. _All_ _ready falling for the douche bags tricks_, Blair thought.

After they said their farewells to her _friends_, they parted ways. Serena and Nate were cuddled in the far corner of the limo when the faux-couple slid in. The ride to Blair's penthouse was silent, aside from Nate occasionally muttering sweet nothing to Serena. When the limo came to a stop Chuck got out first to help Blair out.

"Thank you for the lift." Blair said awkwardly, she wasn't really sure what to think, a lot had happened, she really just wanted time to process everything.

"No problem." Chuck smirked half heartily.

"Okay.. Well goodnight," she smiled lightly as she turned away and started toward the entrance of her building.

"Blair?" Chuck called out behind her.

"Yes Bass?" She paused in place to spin around and face him, raising a brow in question.

"Stay away from Carter," he stated seriously.

"Geez Chuck, the jealous boyfriend act is getting a little old," she teased.

"Blair… please," he begged. The emotion swimming through his green eyes desperate, yet conflicting.

She could sense that there was no getting around his semi-request so she agreed to make him happy. Well truthfully it was so he would shut the hell up and not bother her about it anymore.

"Fine bass," she huffed as she resumed the familiar steps of walking to her penthouse.

* * *

_She was facing him; her perfectly sculpted features twisted into a dangerous grin, her eyes darkened in desire as they bored into his. There was a male's body angled in front of her, he was kissing his way up her neck. Chuck couldn't make out his face. He wanted nothing more than to snatch her away from the unknown man. After she was out of harms way, he would beat the guy to a pulp. Teach him a lesson. After he was through with the guy, he would never even think about touching 'his girl' again. He made a motion to move forward, but found his feet stuck in place. He couldn't move. He watched on with jealously and hurt. He didn't understand why he felt this way, he just did. His fist clenched tightly and his jaw locked as he watched the male move from her neck to her lips. She drew her attention away from Chuck to smile brightly at the guy as she fastened her arms around his shoulders. She responded, kissing the man hungrily. Chuck felt sick, like he was going to throw up. He had never felt so betrayed. She was his! What the hell was going on? Blair and her mystery man pulled away gasping for air, she then turned to look at Chuck with a Cheshire grin set in place. He stood motionless, it was like a car wreck, and he couldn't look away. The guy then noticed that Blair's attention had strayed. He turned, following her line of sight to see what she had captured her attention. His eyes focused on chuck. Carter fucking Bazien! Are you serious? Blair and Carter?_

"_How could you do this to me Blair? What about us?" Chuck asked, his voice slightly wavering._

_She laughed at him, pathetic._

"_Earth to Chuck we aren't in a real relationship! You are being use! We don't mean anything to each other!" Blair's voice taunted, Carter chuckled in agreement._

Chuck awoke in a cold sweat. What had just happened? He sat up to look beside his bed to his night stand where his clock set. 12:23pm, it was past noon. It was a dream, he was safe in his bed, and it wasn't real. He laid back against his sheets and took a deep breath. What a horrible nightmare. A world in which, he had feelings is one that should never be visited.

It was Sunday, the only day he was "allowed" to sleep in. Usually he liked to take advantage of that, today however he wished he would have woke up earlier. He had spent his Saturday at home taking care of Serena while she recuperated from Friday night's alcohol splurge. He had had a lot of time to think about things. First and foremost he needed to talk to Nate, set him straight. He knew that the blonde had assumed that his anger directed at Carter and Blair had been jealousy, and that he would be under the impression that he was winning. That was not the case. He wasn't jealous! No matter what his dreams had to say about it. He had decided he had been correct when he initially said that it wouldn't be jealousy, it would be him being protective over his possessions. He didn't know what had happened, nor could he explain his actions. Something about the predatory way his enemy looked at her made him snap. The fact that he was actually touching her had done nothing to help his state of… well he wasn't quite sure what he was calling it yet. He just knew for sure that it was _not_ jealousy. He had talked to Serena the when she woke up. Thank god that in her inebriated state she didn't remember his fight with Blair in the bathroom, otherwise the jig would be up. If she would have known about their agreement she would have ratted them out to her doting boyfriend in a heart beat and Chuck would have lost the bet by default. They needed to be more careful. Perhaps even act more like a couple in public. He wasn't the movie or hand holding type. His sister had mentioned that Blair's birthday was coming up, it was a start. He had figured out the perfect way to begin. Blair obviously didn't expect him to know about her party, so it would be a surprise. What was a party without your 'oh so loving' boyfriend? He was planning on showing her what he had planned Monday. If he played his cards right, it would even help with bedding her sooner. Maybe that would put his horrific dreams to an end.

He smirked to himself as he hastily sent a text to Nate informing him that they needed to have a little chat.

An hour later Nate showed up at his door.

"What did you want to talk about man? You said it was urgent." Nate stated, throwing himself down beside Chuck on the couch.

"Nathaniel, I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night." Chuck informed the blonde, he voice serious.

Nate didn't say anything. He just smiled at Chuck, knowing exactly what he was going to say.

"I know what you're probably thinking… that you're winning. That I have feelings for her, but I can explain," he continued watching his friends face for any changes.

"Chuck, man, you don't have to explain anything to me." Nate smiled slapping his friend on the back.

"But I do. It's not like that. I just lost it because it was Carter. You know how I get with him. He has fucked up a lot of things n my life, stole, cheated, and even lied to get to me. I don't know, she's mine and when I saw him touching her I just snapped. I told it wouldn't be jealousy, it would be me being protective over what is mine." Chuck explained, rubbing his temples to relieve the stress.

"You need a drink man?" Nate asked motioning towards the brunette's empty tumbler.

Chuck nodded, handing him the glass as he mumbled a quick 'thanks'.

Nate walked to the bar and pulled out a second glass and a half empty bottle of scotch.

"Are you sure it wasn't jealousy? I mean, I saw the way you looked at them." Nate stated hesitantly, opening the bottle, he fill both glasses almost to the rim.

"I'm sure Nathaniel." Chuck snapped.

"Okay, okay. If you say it wasn't then I believe you," the blonde lied. He definitely knew what jealously looked like. His friend had been consumed by it, he was positive. He just had to get his friend to stop living in denial and realize it. He tightened the bottle back up and walked back towards the sofa, drinks in hand.

"Thanks man," he said retrieving the cold glass.

The elevator dings announcing the arrival of a third party, both boys decided to drop the conversation.

Serena breezed into the living room, several bags in her hands.

"Hey guys! Why are you wasting your time indoors when it's such a beautiful day?" she beamed, sitting herself in a near by recliner.

"We weren't," Nate smiled back, "I was just coming by to surprise my amazing girlfriend and possibly take her out to a late lunch at her favorite Italian restaurant."

"Awe your too sweet. I would love too, let me change first?" she asked holding up her bags.

"Of course!" he replied.

She got up from her chair and walked up to her boyfriend, she placed a tender kiss on his lips.

"Give me ten," she breathed before walking off in the direction of her room.

Chuck rolled his eyes.

Nate and Chuck sat in silence waiting for Serena to come back down, they were too afraid to risk discussing the bet in fear that she might overhear them. When she finally appeared, the couple said they're goodbyes to the brunette before heading to the elevator, leaving a tipsy chuck with his thoughts.

* * *

Blair ran around her penthouse double checking that she had everything she would need for school the following day before she could allow herself to rest. She was mentally preparing herself for the day ahead. She was going to inform her subjects that she had finally, after much deliberation, decided on a theme for her birthday party. It was perfect, extremely fitted with the fact that she had recently been crowned queen. She had a lot of details to plan. So far the only things she had set in stone were the theme and the costumes. She still needed to chose a location, a caterer, decoration… the list when on. She only had a week, she originally didn't think it would be this big, but now that she was queen it had to be massive. She wanted it fit for royalty; something that gossip girl would talk about for ages. She had spent the weekend debating on what to do for her party.. and what to do with Chuck.

Here it was, the day before, and she still had no idea. She couldn't understand why Carter was such a big deal to him. She was just being social, making friends. He acted as if she was planning on 'jumping his bones' right then and there or something. Geez. She deserved a little credit. She didn't have a rep sheet like the womanizer himself. Although she guessed he didn't know that, unless Serena had mentioned it to him. Then again she didn't really care, just because she didn't like Chuck, or anyone else for that matter, didn't mean that she couldn't pretend. Who knows it could end up helping her; if he was indeed starting to get jealous it meant that he was starting to like her, at the very least, as a person. She had gone to check up on her blonde friend Saturday morning, with coffee to offer of course. It had been an odd experience. She spent most of the time avoiding Chuck while Serena reassured her that everything was fine. After she was somewhat satisfied with the fact that she was okay. She left, promising to text her later, and telling her to feel better. She couldn't wait to tell Serena about the theme of the party. She knew her best friend would be ecstatic.

There was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in!" she voiced loudly, followed by the sound of the door being pushed open.

"Miss Blair, your momma would like to have word with you." Dorota informed her wringing her hands nervously.

"Tell her ill be down in a moment." Blair ordered, waving off the maid.

She scampered away quickly pulling the door closed as she went.

Blair walked to her closet. She searched though it until she found what she was looking for, a brown shoe box. She pulled it out and set it on her bed, sitting down next to it she lifted the lid to open it. On the top of the contents was a single white box, drastically smaller than the first. She grabbed it, setting it on her nightstand. She closed the brown box and stored it back to where she had gotten it from, the very back of the stuffed space.

Glancing at the small box she smiled to herself as she walked out of the room, she headed down the stairs towards the living room.

Eleanor heard her daughter's foot steps approaching. She looked up from behind her glasses, her designs scattered over the coffee table.

"You wanted to see me mother?" Blair asked behind a tight smile.

"Yes dear, take a sit, I've been meaning to speak with you," her mother sighed, removing her glasses.

Blair sat down in a chair that was opposite of her mother. She mentally noted that the way Eleanor spoke to her resembled the way she spoke to clients. A parent and a child should not have to feel like they are doing business every time they force a conversation with each other.

"School is well? Are you making any new friends?" she inquired lightly, breaking the tension.

"Yes, school is not so bad. Most of my classes are advanced or honors since they are not as advanced as France, but I don't mind. I have made quiet a few friends as well." Blair answered not caring to elaborate too much.

"That's good to hear. I trust that Christofer has managed to talk his way into getting you accepted into the right crowd."

_Christofer? Seriously, did her mother not think she was good enough to get accepted by herself? He had nothing to do with how she had acquired her friends at school._

"Yes mother." Blair replied coldly.

"I approve of the blonde van der Woodsen girl. She is stunning. It will do you good to be seen with her. Who knows maybe you could even learn a thing or two from her." Her mother acknowledged, oblivious to her daughters feelings.

"Yes mother," the younger Waldorf agreed angrily.

"I'm sure a girl like that will be able to teach you how to get people to notice you. Didn't you say something about her being related to Charles Bass?" Eleanor questioned thinking back to the afternoon she had met the girl.

"Yes mother, he is her step brother." Blair answered.

"Speaking of, how is the assistant position working out?" she questioned.

"It is well, I don't have to do too much, I use my free time to do my school work," the brunette stated honestly.

"And your relationship with the boy, what is it like?" she pushed.

"We are friends," she said after a brief pause.

"Nothing more?" her mother raised her eye brow.

"It's complicated." Blair admitted.

"How is Christofer?" Eleanor asked changing subjects, she would revisit that one at a later date.

"He is well; we attended a charity gala together last week," she informed her.

"And Charles was okay with this?" she regarded skeptically.

"I didn't ask for his permission, he does not own me." Blair huffed in annoyance.

"You need to decide dear," her mother stated flatly.

"I do not understand what you mean." It was Blair's turn to ask a question.

"You can not have them both. You need to make a decision. Lock them in, before they really get to know you. If you don't, eventually all of your flaws will surface and neither one of them will want you. You will have nobody. It would be easier on you to just pick one before they lose interest," she advised.

Blair's jaw tightened as she fought the urge to throw back a witty response. She felt herself tense under her mothers gaze. She was visually pointing out some of her "flaws". Her prior good mood now seemed as if it had never occurred. Eleanor loved to do that, strip Blair of all self confidence, leaving her insecure and vulnerable.

"I'm just saying dear, it's clear that you lack what a lot of guys look for in a girlfriend. Just be grateful that they are interested in you at all," she added unhelpfully.

She felt sick. She didn't need to constantly be reminded about her imperfections. She tried really hard to cover them, to hid them from the world, exceed in areas where others lacked. She didn't want to be here. She hated this woman. She felt her eyes begin to sting as they watered up.

"Is that all?" Blair questioned her, masking her emotions to keep it from betraying through her voice.

"You are dismissed," her mother waved her off, "Think about what I said dear."

_Oh I will, thanks_, Blair thought as she practically ran up the stairs and into her room.

She closed the door behind her and slid down it as the tears started tumbling down, one after another. She was never going to be enough, no matter how hard she tried. It didn't matter. She would never be perfect. She would always be this damaged version of what her mother wanted. It angered her how everyone judged her. Why can't they just leave her alone? It was always something, her personality, her wardrobe, the guys she dated. When will she just be able to be free? She was stupid to think that she could be the one to break the Bass. Why would he want her when he could have anybody he wanted? As for Chris… well she didn't like Chris like that, she seriously doubted that he liked her more than a friend. _Did she just admit that she liked Chuck Bass?_ Maybe she was a little too emotional at the moment and she was just confused. After all, it didn't really matter if she did. That was all that Blair would ever be, to anyone, a friend. Never the girl everyone loved, no that was Serena. Hell even her mother loved Serena and she had met her once! She wondered if that's what her mother meant by lacking. That she wasn't blonde, skinny, beautiful, and carefree like her friend.

Getting up from the floor she walked into her bathroom, closing the door after her. She began to scrutinize herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were too fat, she had bags under her eyes, and her hair was dry and damaged. She couldn't see anything remotely beautiful about herself. Her mother was right. She was going to end up alone. She had nothing to offer, as soon as they realized that, they would be gone.

She felt the familiar tightness spread across her stomach as she willed herself to stop but it was already too late, she began tasting the vile rise in her throat. Leaning herself into the kneeling position in front of the toilet, she emptied her stomach into the porcelain in between coughing fits. She grimaced at the sound of the water splashing in the confined space as her dinner made its reappearance.

When she was finally sure it was over and that there was nothing left to purge, she roughly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She stood up and went back to the sink to brush her teeth and wash her hands with only one thought in mind_. She had to get to Serena_.

* * *

**A/N:** I decided to cut this chapter in half as it was over twice as long as the rest. It was irritating me. Sorry if you thought it was an extra chapter.

"Girls do what they want"- The Maine


	8. Bitch

Blair rode the elevator to the top floor where the Van der bass penthouse resided. She took deep breaths in order to calm her nerves. She had tried to call her best friend five times, all of which went straight to voice-mail She was wearing her sunglasses, that way no one would notice that she had been in tears just moments before. She didn't really have time to think when she was rushing out the door. She had grabbed an over night bag, her purse and her phone charger. She hadn't even remembered to bring a set of pajamas. She reasoned with herself that she could always use a pair of Serena's; they were about the same size. Still, she had forgot to make herself presentable, then again once she got a chance to talk to Serena she would start crying again so there was really no use in makeup. She attempted to fix her hair in the elevators mirrors as it dinged. She took a deep breath before she started walking through the foyer towards the blonde's room.

"Can I help you?" Chuck asked smirking as he admired the view of her hips swaying from behind. He was leaning against the frame of the door that connected the foyer to the living room.

She froze, she hadn't thought her plan through. Running into Chuck in her current state was not something she particularly wanted to experience. She turned around to face him, leaving her glasses in place.

"No thank you, I was just coming to see your sister. I can show myself up," she replied offering him a tight smile.

"You know Waldorf, right now's not really a good time for Serena… but maybe I can be in assistance to you." Chucks voice dropped a few octaves as he walked towards her.

"You're disgusting," she huffed turning back around to walk up the stairs.

"I'm serious Blair I wouldn't go up there if I were you," he warned. Clearly amused with her defiance.

"And why is that?" she questioned raising one brow. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was there.

"Let's just say my sister is a little… busy at the moment." He informed her, implying as to why she should not be interrupted.

"What do you mean busy? It's imperative that I speak with her." Blair demanded, placing a her hands on her hips.

"Let me make this clear. My dear sister is.. how can I put this.. held up in her room with Nathaniel " _Why was she still wearing her glasses?_ He thought to himself.

"Oh." Her face flushed crimson red at the thought of her friends participating in that type of activity.

Chuck smirked at her. _She was awfully cute when she blushed_. _Wait. What?_

"Going somewhere?" He asked, referring to her over the top Dolce and Gabana over night bag.

"Well I.. Umm.. you see… I kind of.." She stammered trying to figure out the best way to tell him that she had intended to say the night.

"You?" Chuck pressed, enjoying her discomfort. "What?"

"I am in need of a place to sleep tonight," she told him looking away to avoid the judgment that was sure to be in his eyes.

"In that case, I would offer you my room… but I doubt there would be very much sleeping going on," he offered suggestively stalking closer to her.

"You're heinous," she huffed. Crossing her arms to cover herself as best as she could.

"You love it," he winked taking her belongings out of her hands.

"What are you doing?" Blair whispered harshly, glaring at him from behind her shades.

"Showing you to your room princess," he relied smoothly. Already walking up the stairs, her bags in hand.

The stair well leads to a hallway. There were four doors in the hall, three of which looked like they lead to bedrooms and one was a grand mahogany door that she assumed was his office. Chuck walked past the first three doors before coming to a stop at the furthest one. He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a key as he slid it into the door. The door made a clicking sound before he pushed it open. He flicked the light on and stood to the side so she would be able to enter before him.

Blair walked cautiously into the unknown room. The designer had great taste, she had to give them that. The white walls gave the spacious area an open feel to the room. On the left side of the room there was a huge window that ran along the entire wall, complete with two layers of curtains. They had been left open, cheetah print covered by pastel purple. Next to the window in the corner of the room were two recliners, a blue one and a yellow one. The chairs were slightly turned into one another and a white coffee table sat in front of them. Full length mirrors ran across the opposite wall, reflecting the massive window. A lavish bar sat in front of the mirrors. It had a marble top and white molding, complete with four bar stools. Pushed against the wall in front of her sat a single king sized bed. It had a pastel blue comforter, cheetah print sheets, and a mix of both for the pillow covers. There were only two other pieces of furniture in the room, a night stand and the wall opposite of it sat a dresser. Both of pieces matched the walls, everything else however, looked as if it had came straight off of a pastel color pallet. Above his bed was a huge abstract painting, tastefully done to match the room. There were a few other pieces of art hung at random along the walls. The rug by his bed held everything together; she assumed it had been custom made. It was rectangular, the design was some what checkered, but with pastel coloring. There were only two framed pictures in the entire area. One sat on the nightstand. It was a photo of Chuck, Serena, and Nate. They looked about fourteen years old, at what she assumed had been a birthday party. The second sat on top of his dresser, it was of two people she had never seen before. A young dark haired beauty accompanied by a smiling man, they looked to be truly enamored with one another.

Chuck made his way past her to lay her things on the bed. She was still taking the time to look around and familiarize herself with the area that she would be sleeping in.

"I need something to sleep in. I was going to borrow something of Serena's. Seeing as she is too preoccupied with her boy toy, I guess that's not really an option."

He nodded and headed for the dresser and skimmed through the second drawer. Finding what he was searching for he turned back around, smirk of amusement in place.

"What's that look for?" Blair asked eyeing the material bunched up in his fist.

"I was just curious about something." He answered cautiously voicing what had been on his mind ever since she showed up at the door.

She raised both eyebrows in a way that said out with it.

"Its dark outside. Why are you wearing your sunglasses?"

Her hand immediately flew to the glasses. She had forgotten about them. Slowly she lifted them off of her face and folded them shut. She prayed to god (which she didn't do very often) that he would not question her appearance.

As soon as she had removed the glasses Chuck realized that she had been crying. He felt the need to reach out and comfort her, but he decided it was best that he didn't. He chose not to push her right now, not when she was already upset.

He walked over and laid the material on the bed beside her bags.

"You can put this on. It's not exactly the right size, but it will work. If you need to wash yourself up, the bathroom is right through that door." He offered pointing towards a door along the wall that the bed was against. "I will be back in about an hour to check on you." He walked out of the room closing the door behind him as he left.

She walked over to the bed and grabbed the thin shirt he had given her to wear. She unfolded it to hold it on front of her. It was a long sleeve button down, purple of course. Small tingles of fear ran through Blair's body as she realized whose room this must be. _You have got to be kidding me! She thought he was joking! She was spending the night in Chuck Bass's bed!_

She let out an aggravated sigh, balling the shirt as she headed for the bathroom. She made sure to lock the door behind her. She had left the things she would need for a shower at home, which meant she would have to use his. Turning the water on so it would heat up, she went though his cabinets until she found a towel. She stripped herself of her clothes and stepped into the spacious shower. She leaned against the cold tiles as the hot water raked over her body. She tried to clear her mind as the exhaustion from the days events finally fell upon her.

Thirty minutes later Blair stepped out of the Bathroom. Her curls had been dried and brushed out and she was wearing Chuck's large purple button down that stopped right at the tops of her thighs. _At least it was longer than most of Serena's dresses_, she thought jokingly. She had taken a nice soothing shower. Thank god Chuck Bass was the biggest metro sexual alive, other wise she wouldn't have had all of the essentials for a shower. Leave it to him to be the only guy she has ever met to carry both shampoo and conditioner. She couldn't even imagine what she would have done if she had been expected to use 2 in 1, or worse. No conditioner at all, just shampoo. The only down side to her shower was now, thanks to J. Crew, she smelled exactly like him.

She walked to the bed, grabbing her bags; she moved them to the blue chair in the corner of the room. She pulled out her milk and honey lotion and began rubbing it on her legs. She seriously needed something with a more famine smell. Otherwise she might end up having an identity crisis. A female Chuck Bass… gross! She would be an alcoholic junky and more than likely looser than Pamela Anderson. It would be like Pamela Anderson meets Courtney Love. Together that would make her a trashy stung out whore with no fashion sense what so ever.

Once she was finished making sure every piece of skin was covered in the substance she closed the bottle and placed it back into her bag. Walking to the edge of his bed she sat down. _What to do now?_ She pondered as she searched the room for clues. Her eyes landed on the photo of the mysterious couple on the dresser. Slowly, she made her way towards it. Picking it up, she rubbed the pad of her thumb across the front of it before turning it over in her hands. On the back of the frame there was a small engraving across the bottom that said, 'we love you', in almost non-existing letters. Flipping the picture back to the front she stared at it intently.

"Don't touch that." Chuck snapped, reentering the room with a glass in one hand and a plate in the other; he rushed over to her and, after setting the glass down, snatched the photo out of her hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't…" Blair more or less apologized; she was at a loss for words.

He took a deep breath, placing the picture back where it belonged, as he tried to keep in control.

"It's fine. You didn't know." He agreed, laying a plate on the dresser next to the cup. He pulled out one of the drawers to grab himself something to wear to bed.

"What's that for?" she asked, her attempt at chancing the subject. She couldn't help notice the hollow feeling in her stomach as she looked at the sandwich.

"I didn't know if you have eaten yet or not so I brought you a snack. I know it's not the best, but seeing as the entire staff is retired for the night. I had to make do with what I had." Chuck said, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Thank you," she smiled half heartily at him, making him lazily smile back. She ate in silence as he went to change into his bed wear. She was thankful that he wasn't watching her like everyone else in her life and even more thankful for something to fill her stomach.

"You might as well make yourself comfortable." Chuck smirked, walking back into the room, he motioned towards the bed.

"I can't sleep there!" Blair stated, looking slightly offended.

"Why not?" He asked, oblivious to her reasoning.

"That's your bed!" she exclaimed.

"Where do you suggest that you sleep?" Chuck questioned, a little annoyed with how dramatic she was being about something as simple as sleeping beside him.

"In a guestroom, preferable one without sexual diseases," she announced.

"I hate to tell you this. It's either here, or the couch." He mused, smirk widening at the thoughts that must be running through her mind.

She stared at the bed while she weighed her options. She could sleep in a nice comfy bed and risk Chuck making a move on her, or she can sleep on a hard leather couch, alone.

Rolling her eyes she huffed, "keep your hands to yourself Bass."

She made her way to his bed, muttering a string of curses directed at him along the way.

Smiling to himself he walked towards the bed, turning out all of the lights in the room, leaving only the bedside lamp to light the huge room. Climbing into bed, he leaned over Blair to turn the lamp off. Freezing over her when he heard her breath hitch, after a few moments of silence he decided that it had probably been his imagination. Turning the light out, he pulled the comforter over himself and settled into his side of the bed. Turning his back towards her, he tried to fall asleep.

Blair sat awake staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. He was acting kind of odd tonight, very un-Chuck. Normally he would have tried something, made a smarmy comment, or tried to kiss her. Instead he practically bites her head off for touching a picture and doesn't try anything. When he leaned to turn the light off she was sure he was going to kiss her, she was even disappointed when he didn't. She couldn't take the silence anymore, she had to say something.

"Who are they?" Blair questioned just above a whisper.

"Who?" he inquired, sleep obviously not in his near future.

"The people in the picture. Are they your parents?" She didn't know why she had to ask, she just did.

"They are," he admitted in a voice of indifference. His tone seemed contradicting his behavior. He was acting like he didn't care, when earlier actions proved that he did.

"They are beautiful," she offered.

"Thank you."

It was quiet for a moment before he decided to ask his own question.

"What happened tonight?" Chuck wondered.

"What do you mean?" Blair asked, feigning ignorance.

"What made you show up at our door step at ten o'clock on a school night?" he elaborated.

"My mother and I had a disagreement, it was no big deal."

"If it was no big deal then why were you crying?" Chuck asked seriously.

"I wasn't crying," she denied indignantly.

"Waldorf, I know what it looks like when someone has been crying," he reminded her softly.

"I was not crying." Blair scoffed.

"Fine you weren't crying. You were just wearing your sunglasses in the middle of the night to prevent retina damage." Chuck sarcastically agreed, mentally rolling his eyes are her stubbornness.

"Let it go Bass." she snapped, rolling over so that their backs were facing each other.

Another ten minutes went by before he tried to speak again.

"Goodnight Blair." he stated, breaking the awkward silence.

"Goodnight Chuck," she huffed in annoyance.

An hour later chuck was still lying awake in bed. He couldn't do this. For the first time in his life there was a half naked girl in his bed. _A very sexy, half naked girl._ What the hell had he been thinking letting her sleep in his room? This should not be happening to him. He didn't know what to do, He felt extremely uncomfortable. He never imagined he would ever have to be in this situation. He was Chuck Bass for crying out loud! Unfortunate was not in his vocabulary, but for some reason that was the only word that he could think of that could suffice his current state. There was a female; she was in _his_ bed only wearing a purple button up that just happened to belong to him as well. The worst part was… he hadn't even slept with her. That alone was unfortunate for him.

Crawling out of bed he changed back into his suit. Grabbing his cell phone and keys he walked out of his room. He made his way for the bar down stairs in determination. He just needed to get away from her, clear his mind._ He needed a drink._

An hour later he reentered the Van der bass suite feeling much better than he had when he left. He went to the bar, downed a few glasses of scotch, and turned down every girl that approached him. After the third girl had been dismissed, because she wasn't what he was in the mood for, he realized that he didn't want to sleep with anyone else. He just wanted to sleep with Blair. Even if that meant literal sleeping being involved.

Silently he pushed open the door to his room. His eyes lingered over Blair's peacefully sleeping form on his bed. He smiled to himself as he quickly rid himself of his dress clothes and put on silk pajama bottoms, leaving his chest bare. Cautiously he slid under the covers and snuggled up to her body, nuzzling his face into her neck to inhale the aroma of her chocolate curls. He could get use to this feeling of contentment, everything felt surreal at the moment. He couldn't understand where he went wrong. Everything had been perfect until she walked into his life. _What the hell was she?_ He wondered. He knew she was supposed to be his friend, but in his drunken stupor he couldn't help but feel like they were more than that. Worse than that, he was starting to actually like her and he was beginning to think that the change in himself had been a good thing. He knew one thing. For the first time in his life, he wasn't going to ask questions. He was just going to embrace whatever may come his way.

"Damn woman." Chuck mumbled under his breath before he let himself slip into a blissful slumber.

* * *

Monday morning Serena was awake before her alarm even went off. She had gone down stairs to grab her usual cup of coffee. Skim milk and three scoops of sugar. She headed up stairs to wake her brother for school. It was a ritual. She knew that if she didn't wake him up in the mornings he would sleep right through his alarms and wouldn't open his eyes on his own until noon. She promised she would be early to school so she could start helping Blair prepare for her party. Quietly she pushed open the heavy door to her brother's room. She always did this, even though she knew he never brought females home. It was better to be safe than sorry. The last thing she wanted was to see him naked. That would be a mental image that would take years to get rid of. Cautiously she peeked into the motionless room. She could barley make out the outline of his body though the darkness that it was inhaled in. she flipped the light on with her free hand that wasn't carrying her cup. When she could see properly she gasped, hand flying to her mouth to try to muffle the audible sound. There tangled in the bed with her brother, was her best friend. They were cuddling! Okay sure, they may be asleep, but still! That definitely had cuddle writing all over it. She sort of felt embarrassed, like the two were lost in some intimate moment and she was spying on them. Chuck never brought girls home! Even if he did, he was not the cuddling type. She stared at them a little longer; they looked so cute wrapped up in one another. She had never seen either of them look as calm and content as they did at that moment. Quietly she shut the door to give them privacy, if only for a little longer. She made a mental note to question Blair about it later.

* * *

Chuck reached his arm over to cuddle the warm body that had been there when he fell asleep, only to have it hit the coldness of his bed sheets in her place. What the hell? Lazily he opened his eyes to look around the room. The purple button down that Blair had worn had been removed and carefully folded to sit on the yellow chair in his room. That was a first. Chuck was known for leaving before the girl woke up. In the case of the girl waking first he would kick her out, not the other way around. He had never been left before. They hadn't even had sex and the rejection kind of stung! He wondered if she had noticed how close his body had been to hers. He really liked having her sleep in his bed. He didn't really know why, he just did. _Did he like her?_

He looked across to his alarm clock, great, he had half an hour until the first bell, which meant Serena had either already left, or is leaving now. He decided it was best to take extra time getting. Not because he wanted to look good for any particular reason. He was Chuck Bass. He could make any girl swoon with out trying. _Except Blair Waldorf_, his inner thoughts chided. He chose to ignore that voice.

He just wanted to avoid his sisters 'knowing glances' as she called them. Plus things were sort of tense between the siblings at the moment. If he went down stairs before she left she would just sit there and bitch about him telling his 'girlfriend' before her birthday. Which, he sure as hell, did not plan on doing. He didn't want to; no one made him do anything he didn't want to do. He would just have to find away around. Maybe get some dirt on the blonde that he could hold over her as blackmail to her secrecy. Yes, he was certainly not against blackmailing his own family. Not if it saved his ass in the end. Being vulnerable was definitely on the bottom of his to do list. He decided it would be best to be a little late. That way he wouldn't run into the brunette vixen of his dreams_. More like nightmare._ He felt like something had changed last night. Something was different, never before had he turned down multiple willing girls just to lie in bed with the one girl that he couldn't have.

He adjusted his bow tie in the mirror as he tried to think of a plan.

* * *

Blair woke up in an unfamiliar bed, yet again. Only this time, she knew it wasn't her own. It smelled heavily of cigarettes smoke, cologne, and booze. It was then she noticed the protective arm wrapped around her petite waist and the very topless chest that she laid against. Her bare leg, which another hand was grabbing, was draped across someone's silk pajama bottoms and her face was in the crook of their neck. She snuggled deeper enjoying the warmth the body beside her was providing.

_Oh shit! _She thought as the memory of last night came rushing back to her all at once. The fight with her mother, coming to see Serena, staying the night with Chuck… _Chuck!_

Suddenly Blair's eyes flew open to stare at the skin of what she assumed to be Chuck Bass's throat. How did they end up like this? They went to bed on separate sides! This was his fault, he did this! He was practically filling her up in her sleep!

Carefully she untangled their limbs and climbed out of bed. She was not going to stay around long enough for him to wake up. Instead she decided that it would be best to avoid the awkward situation all together. Silently she grabbed the dress she had been wearing the night before and walked into the bathroom. After about five minutes of checking to make sure her appearance was acceptable she walked back into the Bass's bed chamber. Quickly she folded up the shirt he had given her to wear and sat it on the nearest chair. After grabbing her belongings she headed down the stairs in hopes of avoiding an awkward run in with Serena also. She tip toed past her best friend's room and down the stairs, reaching the bottom step she let out the breath that she didn't notice she had been holding.

"Leaving so soon?" Serena's voice echoed through the foyer as she leaned against the same door frame Chuck had been leaning against last night.

Blair's head snapped in the direction of her blonde friend. Serena couldn't help but laugh at the way the brunettes eyes had gone wide, like a deer caught in headlights.

"I was just…" Blair's voice died in her throat as her best friend smiled at her.

"Explaining how you ended up in my brothers bed, over breakfast with me.. good idea," the blonde laughed walking away towards the kitchen for her to follow her.

Blair frowned as she mimicked her friend's footsteps. Her frown deepened when she noticed that the table had been set for three. She sat down in the chair beside Serena.

"Spill." The blonde demanded, waving the maid to bring in the food.

"There's not much to spill. I came here last night to talk to you; I needed a place to crash. You were _busy._ Chuck offered me a place to sleep. I had no idea it was his room." Blair stated, letting the word 'busy' draw out for dramatic effect.

"Why would you come to talk to me in the middle or the night? Better yet, why didn't you just sleep in Eric's room?" she pestered, confused with the situation as the help laid out their breakfast on the girls plates.

After months of knowing Serena, Blair had figured out that not knowing what was going on seemed to be Serena and Nate's specialty.

"Wait! Eric has a room here?" Blair wondered aloud, thinking back to her and Chuck's previous conversation on the matter.

"Yeah.. he lives here." The blonde clarified, taking a bite of her bacon, cheese, and turkey omelet.

"That mother chucker." Blair mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Serena asked through a mouthful of egg.

"Nothing," she waved her hand as she began cutting her's into tiny bite sized portions.

"Okay, so that explains the sleeping arrangements. That still doesn't tell me what would make you come all the way here in the middle of the night."

"Its nothing important S. My mother and I just got into a disagreement. That's all," she lied, taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Are you sure there was nothing more?" Serena questioned noticing the bags under her best friend's eyes and the fact that she seemed paler than usually if that was even possible.

"I'm sure," Blair faked a smile. "This is really good by the way."

Serena knew that Blair was lying but she let it slid for know. She didn't want to push her. She also knew that she was using her omelet, that she had taken only three bites of, as a change in topic.

"That it is! Chuck only hires the best of the best, especially when it comes to his family." Serena giggled; she would bring up last night again at a later time. Right now she just wanted to spend time with her best friend.

The two girls sat at the table laughing and talking between bites for the next half hour, she had informed the blonde of the theme for her party. She had even told her which part she would be fulfilling. After hearing this, her friend squealed in delight and nearly squeezed Blair to death with one of her bear hugs. They talked about the party, in detail. What it was going to be like, the decorations', all of the ideas she had for it.

"Can I ask you something?" Blair questioned her out of the blue.

"Sure B, what is it?" The blonde smiled from their conversation.

"Who is Carter Bazien?"

She watched the smile fall from her best friends face.

"How do you know who Carter is?" Serena all but whispered.

"I met him the other night while we were out. He said he knew you." Blair answered confused by the change in her friend's demeanor.

"Stay away from him. He's not a good person Blair. The only thing he will bring into your life is trouble," the blonde warned.

"Chuck said the same thing." Blair thought out loud.

"Wait… Chuck saw you with Carter?" Serena questioned, it was more of a statement.

"Yeah why? Is that bad?"

Serena shook her head in a disapproving manner.

"How do you know Carter, S?" The brunette asked cautiously.

"It's a long story." Serena admitted.

"We have time…" Blair encourage looking towards the clock. "Oh. My. God! Is that the time?"

Serena followed her actions to see what time it was. "Yeah..."

"Okay. I take that back, we don't have time. I have to go, tell me about it later?" she asked hopefully.

Serena decided that she would be a hypocrite if she didn't. Seeing as she was making Chuck tell her best friend about himself, then she should have to do it too. Reluctantly she nodded in consent.

Blair still had to get home, get ready dressed, and make it to school on time. She hated being late. After she hugged her best friend and grabbed her bags, she flagged down the nearest taxi. She wouldn't have time to walk home. She spent the entire ride home thinking about what it felt like to have Chucks body pressed against hers.

Serena sat at the table staring at her friend's empty plate, smiling to her self as she waited for her brother to join her.

It was a good thing Blair had woken up early that morning, otherwise she wouldn't have had time to get ready. Serena had kept her longer than she had realized. An hour after leaving the Van der Bass penthouse she was fresh and ready to go. She had put on her yellow Dior flats, a thick yellow belt that hugged her stomach, and an orange super thin headband had been tucked into her chestnut curls. After she slide on her orange mulberry jacket, she surveyed herself in her full length mirror before she grabbed her cell phone off the charger and shoved it into her over-sized yellow Versace bag and headed out the door for school.

* * *

As always Serena waited for Nate to arrive in the courtyard before the first bell rang for class.

"Hey baby," she smiled as she spotted him walking towards her. When he got to her he gathered her in his arms, to embrace her in a tight hug.

"I missed you," he whispered against her ear.

"Since last night?" She pulled away to eye him playfully.

"Hmm.. almost very night last week and hopefully this coming week," he smiled back.

"Oh!" Serena gasped remembering her run in with Blair this morning. "You are never going to guess what happened this morning!" She exclaimed clasping her hands in excitement.

He loved seeing her like this, it made his smile widen. "No but I'm guessing you are going to tell me?" he laughed.

"Of course I'm going to tell you!" She stated, her voice a little too loud. People around them started to take interest. Glancing around to near by groups, she lowered her voice into an excited whisper before she continued.

"When I went to wake chuck up this morning he wasn't alone!"

"No way!" Nate gasped. Typical chuck, the bet wasn't even half way through and he was already sleeping around! Maybe he was telling the truth after all.

"I know! He has never let a female step foot in his room, let alone sleep in his bed!" Serena exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Huh? Oh right yeah. That was exactly what I was thinking." Nate covered; his girlfriend didn't need to know about the bet. Knowing her she would probably run off and tell the brunette herself.

"Oh they were so cute Nate! You should have seen it," she commented dreamily. "He looked so happy when he was cuddling with her."

"Whoa! Cuddling? Are you sure were talking about the same guy here? Chuck Bass, dark hair, about 5 foot 9, womanizer? I'll be the first one to admit, my best friend is a lot of things, but a cuddlier is not one of them." Nate questioned, taken back by what his girl girlfriend was telling him.

"I know that's why I was so surprised! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we might have been wrong about him. It seems like there might be a heart somewhere in there after all," she smiled thinking back to the morning's events.

"Try telling him that," he stated under his breath.

"You should have seen Blair's face when I caught her trying to sneak out this morning." Serena giggled.

"Wait! Blair?" Nate asked, yep he was definitely out of the loop.

"Of course it was Blair!" Serena replied. "Hold on.. who did you think I was talking about?"

"I don't know. Okay. Start over from the beginning. Don't leave out any details." Nate requested, suddenly interested. He couldn't help but share his girlfriend's excitement. Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf! Oh yes, his friend was helpless. Things were looking up for Nate and his month alone with Serena.

Serena retold her entire morning. Starting with walking in on them and ending with breakfast. She decided to leave out the fight with Blair's mom, for some reason she felt like she didn't want to give too much away. For now she would just let Nate think what he wanted about how she ended up there. They talked about the party for a few minutes before the bell rang, signaling that class what about to start.

"That's great S. Do me a favor, keep me up to date on the status of their relationship?" Nate asked kissing his girlfriend on the check as he walked off towards St. Jude's.

"Okay…." Serena replied not understanding why her boyfriend would care so much about there friends relationship. If it was that important couldn't he just ask Chuck himself?

* * *

Chuck was standing in the corner of the courtyard, wearing his orange coat, during lunch when Serena approached him. He had been watching Jenny and Chris from afar. He knew something wasn't right with these two. Jenny was sitting at a table with her former minions. She was pretending to pay attention to the conversation, but Chuck could tell that she wrapped up in whoever she was texting. Most people would find this normal, he however found it suspicious. Especially since Chris was sitting three tables down with his team mates doing the same thing, looking over at the blonde every so often with a smile on his face. She didn't seem to notice the glances, but Chuck never missed a thing.

"Who are we stalking today?" Serena asked feigning innocence.

Damn! He had even arrived to school late to avoid any sort of contact with his sister. He hadn't spoken to Blair, with good reason and didn't know if Serena was aware that her best friend had spent the night cradled in his bed.

"No one undeserving of it, I can assure you," Chuck drawled calmly.

"Hmm… and why may I ask are you not with a certain brunette friend of mine?" she questioned.

"I just had something to take care of first, I was just on my way there," he lied. Well, it was half true. He did have something to take care of, he just had no intentions of visiting his 'girlfriend' today.

"I see… do you think you could spare a moment of your time for your dear sister?" she asked, not willing to take no for an answer.

"I guess I could do that. Make it fast," he stated in a bored.

"I ran into Blair this morning," The blonde deadpanned.

"You don't say." Chuck mused raising his eye brows in surprise.

"I did. Care to explain why I found you cuddling with my best friend this morning?" she pushed him.

"I do not cuddle," he scoffed.

"Why was she in your bed?" She questioned, finally voicing what had been on her mind all morning.

"She needed a place to crash. She seemed upset," he voiced smoothly.

"Why didn't you offer her Eric's room?" Serena pressed, it was the obvious choice for a guest to stay.

"I didn't think about it." Chuck lied again, he had thought about it. He had even lied to her about it. Truth is he didn't know why he didn't want her in Eric's room. He had no idea why it was so important that she stayed in his room.

"Come on Chuck, I'm not stupid. I'm not even allowed in your room. You could have easily put her in his room, you chose not to. Don't tell me you didn't think about it because I know you did," she accused crossing her arms.

He averted his eyes and pretended like he hadn't heard her.

"Don't ignore me. You can deny it all you want. The fact is, every since Blair has shown up you've been different. At first I thought you were using her but now I can see that you truly care about her. You do things for her that you would never in a million years do for anybody else, including your best friend's. You let her take your limo, stay in your bed and you helped her become queen, with out sex being involved at all. I am really proud of you. At least you're making an effort and not trying to bed her as soon as possible." Serena said speaking her opinion on the matter.

Chuck continued to ignore her as he thought about what she said. She was just as bad as Nathaniel he swore. Is ignorance contagious? Sure he and Blair were attracted to each other physically, but in reality they rarely got along. Half of the time they couldn't even manage that. Sure he may or may not like her, but to suggest that they had 'feelings' for each other was ludicrous!

Serena let out a long sigh of defeat. "Fine whatever. Go see your girlfriend, I really doubt Jenny Humphrey is that interesting anyways."

_How did she know he was watching Jenny?_ He wondered to himself. It didn't really matter how she knew, the fact was she did and now to make it worse he had to go face Blair to keep up appearances. He started walking off toward the met steps where he knew she would be having lunch with her _friends_.

"Oh and Chuck." Serena called to his back, pleased when he stopped walking but didn't turn around. "Don't hurt her."

* * *

Blair sat at the top of the met steps during lunch. Her mind had been racing with all sorts of things, she was hardly paying attention to what her minions where saying. She was trying really hard to focus on planning the details for her party, but for some reason her mind always went back to a certain devil she knew.

"What do you think B?" Katie asked, wanting her opinion on whatever they were talking about.

"I'm sorry, what were we talking about?" Blair asked casually, as if she hadn't been thinking about Chuck's lips. More specifically how they felt when they were brushed up against hers.

"Where's the boyfriend B?" Ava inquired, choosing to ignore her queen's request.

Blair's head snapped to the red haired girl. Eyeing her closely for the first time. She knew there was something thing vaguely familiar about the girl, she just couldn't figure out where she knew her from. Then it clicked, she was the girl from Chuck's _porn_.

The realization hit her caused her to suck in a sharp breath. Like a slap to the face. Not because they had sex before her and Chuck had gotten together, but because nobody felt the need to tell her. They had made a fool of her. There were plenty of times that he could have mentioned it and chose not to.

"You slept with my boyfriend." Blair stated, her eyes narrowing into thin slits, "I hardly recognized you with clothes on."

Ava's eyes went wide in fear. Never, not even with Jenny, had she seen the brunette that angry.

"Move down a few steps," The brunette demanded.

Grabbing her bag the girl did as she was told.

"A few more, I want everyone to sit higher than you," she clarified. She wanted her to feel as publicly humiliated as she did. So what if no one else knew about Ava and Chuck. She did and that was all that mattered to her.

Reluctantly Ava moved to the bottom step, feeling Blair's eyes burning a hole in the back of her.

"You are here by sentenced to probation. You will sit there everyday until I say so. One wrong move and social destruction will be the least of your problems." She threatened directly at the girl before moving her attention to the rest of the group. "Let this be a lesson for all of you. Do not cross me," she warned.

She pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open to put her plan into its next phase.

_**You have a date to my party Friday? If so, cancel. It seems I have just become available. –B**_

Hastily her thumb punched the send button.

At that exact moment Chuck decided to appear, making a straight line towards her.

Standing up from her stop on the top step she offered him a fake smile, she decided it was time to show them who was queen and what belonged to her. When he finally reached her she pulled him into a hug, his arms automatically wrapping around her waist as he looked into her eyes trying to figure out what she was thinking. Before he got the chance to decipher the look in her eyes, she closed the space between them. She let her eyes fall shut as she pressed her lips gently against his, in front of the entire school. As soon as her lips touched his all of his troubles vanished. He pulled her tighter against his body as he deepened the kiss. A thrill running through is body as he felt her relax in his arms and run her tongue against his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to allow her entry, both melting into the kiss. Everything else disappearing around them. Leaving only him and her in their own little world, as people around them cheered at the color coordinated couple.

* * *

****"Bitch"- The pastiscines


	9. Suspicious character

**Spotted: Our very own King and his Queen in a heated lip lock on top of the Met. Looks like B's staking claim on what is rightfully hers... and wants everyone to know it. Rumor has it, one of her own minions got down and dirty with her king. Loyalty's not what it use to be. I'd watch my back if I were you. They say one ****criminal mind ****is a dangerous thing to play with. When paired with another, it might just be lethal. Either way I smell destruction on the rise. Remember B, revenge is best served cold.**

**You know you love me**

**xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**

* * *

He couldn't breath. The petite brunette in his arms had stolen the air supply right out of his body. It didn't even matter to him that his lungs weren't capable of retaining oxygen. All he could hear was the sound of his heart frantically beating against his rib cage. It was pounding so hard he feared the frail organ would explode. A tingling sensation coursed through his frame as he felt her breast brush up against his chest. The heat radiating off of her small body caused a delicious burning sensation to erupt in the pit of his stomach. Like a warm blanket of comfort it cloaked him, making him feel completely safe and serine.

When she finally broke the kiss and pulled away, he looked her dead in the eye. a million questions shinning in his darkened orbs.

"What was that for?" Chuck questioned breathlessly, a smug smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth, lifting it slightly.

"That was me, proving a point," she answered coldly. A sickly sweet smile, not quiet reaching her eyes, plastered on her face. Making her beautiful features seem distorted. He was taken back at the amount of hatred that burned there for him.

Stepping out of arms reach, she shot him one last subtle glare, before turning her back on him. He stood there for a moment, aiming a non malice glare her back in return as she walked away from him. Leaving him alone to contemplate what the hell he did wrong. His eyes never wavered from her form as she gracefully retreated back to where her friends were waiting for her, he noted absently his sister among the group.

The blonde chose that exact moment to glance in his direction. Locking eyes with her, she regarded him tightly before offering a condescending scowl. Not turning her attention back to the girls until she noticed that her best friend was greeting her.

"Women." Chuck mumbled under his breath, a mask of calm covering his state of bewilderment. Shaking his head slightly to himself, he turned and started off in the opposite direction, toward St. Jude's.

Blair was walking though the court yard after school when a hand grabbed her arm, the force causing her spin her around and crash straight into the chest of the perpetrator. She took in a sharp breath of surprise. She mentally noted how warm the embrace was. That was, before she realized that the unknown hand and chest belonged to none other than Chuck Bass, her_ faux-_ex_-boyfriend_. Her face quickly dipped into a fierce scowl as she narrowed her chestnut orbs at him.

"What do you want Bass?" She snapped, not in the mood to deal with him and his over feed ego at that moment.

"Awe B, I missed you too," Chuck cooed sarcastically, a mask of loathing hiding his unresolved true feelings.

Blair raised an eyebrow offering no verbal response to his sarcasm.

"What's gotten your skin this time _princess_? No wait let me guess.. Is it Jenny? Was a mean girl out of line? Or did someone disrespect you by buying the last pair of this seasons hottest Milano's in your size?" Chuck chastised, smirking at her.

"The only thing that's bothering me today is _you_," she stated flatly, feigning indifference.

"Well, a kiss does sort of send the wrong signal," he mused running a hand lightly up her arm. He inwardly smiled to himself when he felt her body react and shutter beneath his fingertips.

"Yes and you're an arrogant prick." Blair scolded, displeased that her body would betray her in such a humiliating way. She skimmed the surrounding area to avoid causing a scene before swatting his wondrous hand away.

"Ouch, you cut deep B." He held his hand up to his heart, pouting a little to appear hurt.

"Oh I'm sorry. Here I was thinking that we were talking about things that were irrelevant." She chided, sarcasm dripping from her every word.

"Maybe I can lift your spirits," he offered, a smug grin pulling at his smooth lips. Pretty soon she would be right where he wanted her. _wriggling underneath him_.

"Unless you're going to do the world a favor and jump off the Empire State Building or something equally _un-_devastating, than I highly doubt it." Her voice was sugar as she grasped him a little too roughly by his lapel and pretended to dust lent off of him.

"Um no. I was thinking along the lines of business that needed to be attended to," he replied suavely. Choosing to ignore her rude comment, he quirked an eye brow seductively. She was such a fire cracker. It was undoubtedly the biggest turn on in well, if he were honest with himself he would say ever. He had never, in his teenage sex life, wanted someone as much as he wanted her.

"No Chuck! I'm not having sex with you yet!" Blair yelled in a hushed whisper, just loud enough for a few passing stragglers to hear as she pretended to be offended. To hell with Grace Kelly, if he was going to humiliate her by turning her body against her, then she could play that game. She would embarrass him the only way she knew how, his reputation. Before long everyone in school would know that the great Chuck Bass wasn't getting any. From his _girlfriend _none the less. They would assume the great Upper East Side playboy had lost his touch.

"Wait. What?" he asked, caught off guard. That was definitely unexpected.

She shot him an amused smirk before releasing her tight grip on his suit, making sure to pat him a little too hard as she turned and headed for the nearest escape.

_What the hell was she talking about? He thought._

"Wait! Where are you going? My limo is in the other direction." Chuck questioned, following right on her thousand dollar heels. He never failed to hold the upper hand no matter what; Blair Waldorf would be no exception.

"Why should I care where your limo chose to park?" she asked, annoyed that he wouldn't just leave her alone.

"I'm sure you don't intend on walking to work in your limited addition Jimmy Choo's." He teased, knowing that she wouldn't want to ruin her precious extremely costly wardrobe.

"I do and I will." She refuted, refusing to acknowledge that she hadn't thought of that. She would just call a cab, anything to stay away from him at the moment.

"And how, may I ask, do you know where we are going?" He inquired, knowing she was beyond frustrated. He could feel her annoyance rolling off of her in waves; he just had no idea what he had done. Mentally he racked his brain for an answer; he couldn't have her slipping away when he was so close to obtaining his goal.

"I am not incompetent; I know my way to your office. I don't need you to escort me there, I manage to make it there everyday without the help of your limo." Blair hissed coming to a halt, turning only to glare at him.

"Ah, yes, if that were the case, I would let you walk. His tone smarmy, pleased with himself that she had finally stopped walking. He loved being in charge and making her squirm. As long as he held the power, he was happy.

"Out with it Bass." Blair demanded bluntly, setting her plump, full lips into a firm line.

"We will be going on location today." Chuck informed her bossily, a light smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"To where?" she frowned, clearly not to happy that she would have to go out of the office with him.

"The venue to my latest investment," he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He spared her a sideways glance, wondering if she was really that dense, or if something was holding her attention elsewhere.

"Why must I be there? Can't I sit this one out? You know stay at the office, do my school work as usual?" she pressed, trying to find a way out of having to go anywhere with the bastard. She was sure if given the chance alone with him, she wouldn't hesitate to murder him. She made a mental note that if she did, to cut of his favorite appendage first and foremost.

"If that is what you want to do, I won't stop you." Chuck said, his smirk growing larger at the sight of triumph in her eyes. "But, I would hate to inform Mrs. Waldorf that her daughter can not handle the tasks handed to her."

Her face immediately dropped at the mention of her mother. _That son of a bitch!_

"Fine." Blair scowled, she hated that he held that over her. Pay back would be in order soon enough.

"Right this way _princess_," he gloated. He lead her to the west side of the building, where the limo awaited them.

The limo ride was a short one, Blair had chose to sit as far away from Chuck as humanly possible, staring out the window the entire time. It was really hard to try to make someone like you when most of the time, you hated them. She was frustrated that she even had to be here for his little meeting. Sometimes she didn't know weather she wanted to kiss him with everything she possessed or slap him as hard as she could across the face. She was leaning towards the second one at the moment, although the thought of his lips pressed against hers didn't seem too bad either. In fact, it seem kind of tempting now that she thought about it. They were so soft and tender...

"We're here." Chuck's voice announced loudly, breaking though her silent debate.

"Where is here exactly?" she asked, a little nervous. She always liked to picture the worst case scenario. That way, there is no room for surprise. Knowing Chuck Bass he had probably brought her to some old rusted down warehouse that he would use to turn into a porno studio. After all she had seen the evidence that he was into that kind of thing. Even worse, what if he wanted to turn it into an office. Secretly running an escort service under ground, or prostitution ring? Maybe, it's both! _He could use the prostitutes or escorts for the porno's! _Okay, sure, that was a bit much. She was being crazy. She was letting her imagination get the best of her. But then again, maybe she wasn't… One thing was for sure, if he wanted sluts for any of the above he could take Ava. Oh wait, he did that already. She remembered how much he loved _her_ starring in his porno!

"Are you coming Waldorf? Or are you just going to sit there staring into space all day?" Chuck asked amused, he had been trying to get her attention for at least five minutes.

She let out a loud huff as she opened her door and stepped onto the street, slamming the door behind her.

"Is everything alright over there?" Chuck inquired, smirking. He couldn't help but feel that she was extremely sexy when angered. It was a turn on of his to watch her wrath.

"Oh yes, everything is just perfect." Blair lied through gritted teeth, faking enthusiasm. Yes, she decided, she definitely wanted to slap that smirk off his face.

Chuck stopped, looking up at the building in front of him, and smiled. Blair took notice to that; realizing that she had never really seen a true smile on his features. Sure she had seen him smirk, almost constantly, but that was nothing like the genuine smile that light up his face at that moment. It suited him, she decided. Cautiously she feel beside him to follow his gaze.

"Wow.." Blair announced a little in awe that someone so devious could pick such a beautiful place. All previous thoughts fleeting her mind as appraised the building in front of her.

The building its self was smaller than what you would expect from Bass Inc. It held a certain historic feel to it. It was obvious that the place had been around for a while, at least since the 1940's. She couldn't help but admire the low profile simplicity of the architecture. It was elegant. Being the traditional girl Blair was, to say she loved it, would not be justice to how she felt.

"Wait till you see the inside!" Chuck smiled at her response, taking her hand firmly in his grasp; he led her to the double door entrance.

Enraptured with the beautiful décor, she complied, without hesitation. Mentally noting how right their hands felt clasped together. Surely he hadn't noticed he was holding her hand, otherwise he might have freaked out already. She chose to stay silent and just enjoy the moment for what it was. She was after all, witnessing a different side to Chuck, that she almost certain no one ever got a chance to see.

Upon walking through the glass doors she gasped. It was amazing. She had never seen anything quiet as unique and intriguing in her life time. There was a stage at the head of the room that over looked a large dance floor. Both with the same historic feel as the outside of the building. Directly in front of the stage was a red velvet plush love seat. A grand mahogany bar ran across the right side of the room, with at least a dozen bar stools. Standing in the center of the room she noticed that behind her there was an upper deck. It had tables and couches similar to the one in front of the stage. The entire place had been decorated richly in deep reds and gold.

"What is this place?" she asked her voice still in awe, as she took in her surroundings.

"Victrola, my latest investment," he stated proudly. Clearly pleased that she adored it.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. She turned to meet his eyes, a brilliant smile overcoming her beautiful features.

"It pales in comparison," he whispered huskily. His eyes raking over her delicate tiny form before coming to a rest on the slight curve of her hips.

"To what?" Blair wondered suspiciously. She wasn't sure if he was referring to her, but if so, there was probably a hidden meaning behind it.

"Why don't we take a seat?" Chuck offered, ignoring her question as he tugged on their joint hands gently. She let him lead her to the love seat that sat in front of the stage fluidly without resistance. The small smile lingering on her lips as she stared at their entwined fingers. She mental noted how perfect it felt. Oh what was she saying? She did not think that anything related to the subject of Chuck Bass should be deemed perfect. Gross, she definitely needed to push that though as far away as possible.

He stood beside her, hand in hand and he waited for her to take a seat on the plushy material. Once she did he let go of his hold on her hand reluctantly, causing Blair to mask the frown of disappointment at the loss of connection as he took his place on the seat beside her.

"So you like it?" he clarified, leaning back to get comfortable in an attempt to be more like himself. He had too many emotions running through his body at once; it was like that every time she was around. He wasn't use to the feelings, it was like he lost all free will and had no idea how to just be himself, every time she was near all he wanted to do was make her his. Mark her as his own, so that no other man could so much as look in her direction. Whatever this woman was doing to him, one thing was for sure, it was not a normal feeling.

"I love it," Blair stated honestly, the sincerity of her words flashing briefly through her eyes.

"Good, I'm glad you agree. I was thinking, the grand opening is set to unveil on Friday." Chuck addressed casually, watching her face drop at announcement. Before she could give a proper Waldorf melt down he continued. "Now I know that is the same day as your party, so I decided that instead of revealing it to the public, its opening night could be a private party? That is if you don't already have a location. Think of what people would say when they found out that Blair Waldorf managed to throw the party of the year in one of the hottest clubs before it was even open."

He stared at her intently as she mauled over his words, considering what he was offering her.

She looked up, meeting his eyes dead on, with a mischief gleam twinkling deeply in her eyes. The intensity in her dark chocolate orbs made his heart stop. It truly was a freighting sight, yet beautiful at the same time, if only to his eyes. He was so mesmerized that he didn't notice as she suddenly stood up. Finally he came back to earth just as took her second step away from him.

"Wait! Where are you going now?" Chuck asked, slightly bewildered at the sudden movement. He couldn't quiet wrap his head around what had just happened. All he knew is he was getting tired of having her walk away from him.

She paused in her steps to throw a quick glance over her shoulder, emphasizing her raised eye brow and ironically enough to him, a smirk that rivaled his own.

"We have a lot to plan and very little time to plan it."

She turned back around so her back was facing him to resume her haughty exist. He took two large strides across the floor before she could even take her first step. Wrapping his arm around her midsection he pulled her firmly against his chest as he buried his nose in her immaculately soft curls. She gasped at the unexpected intimate contact, feeling as vulnerable as she had that night in the kitchen. Flames licked the inner line of her stomach as she felt his restrained member press along her back side, her skin burning while he rubbed his nose across the soft skin of the back of her neck. A thick fog settling over her mind, all she could do was feel. She couldn't speak or move, barley remembering to breath. He was intoxicating and she wanted nothing more to succumb to him. She knew deep in her mind, under the thick mass of haze, that it wasn't right. She wasn't right. As much as she wanted to believe that she was different, she knew that it wasn't true. If she slept with him, she would end up just another notch on his bed post and that would not do. No matter how bad her body wanted it, her brain new better.

"I agree. I'll meet you at your place. Seven o'clock," he demanded huskily. He was determined to have the upper hand and not be walked out on. He pressed a tender kiss below her ear before he withdrew from her body completely and took a step back to clear his head. Plastering a wicked smirk on his face, he straightened his jacket and he stepped around her, headed for the door himself.

_Wait! Where was he going?_ Blair wondered as her mind began to clear. She was so overwhelmed with the many very different feelings swimming through her body. It was so confusing, she couldn't even pin point a single one, it was as if her body was going hay wire on its own accord.

As if he could read her mind, he answered her unasked question. "You are dismissed for now. Take a cab home. I'll see you then. Oh! And Waldorf, don't keep me waiting,"

With that he was out the door, leaving a very shell shocked Blair Waldorf to stare at the glass doors he had retreated through just moments before.

_What the fuck was that?_

He hadn't meant to be rude; he just had to get the hell away from her before he did something that he would later regret. He had to learn to control these impulses; he had never done something without an anterior motive. He had just kissed Blair, because he felt like it. Something that had never happened. Lust was a dangerous emotion. Blair Waldorf was going to be the death of him.

* * *

**A/N:** _Since everyone wanted to bitch and moan about my failure to beta this chapter, I did. I hadn't realized it was that error-ed. I would like to point out that their are ways to criticize my writing without being a total dick about it. Find more productive ways to point out __problems. You don't have to be a douche. Anyways, I am a BETA. I re-edited. The next chapter will be posted with in a day or two. Since I apparently can't read, I have spent extra time making sure it was to your high maintenance standards._

"Suspicious character"- Blood arm


	10. Naive

Chuck was sitting at the bar in his room, predictably drinking a scotch on the rocks to prepare for his "meeting" with Blair. Every five minutes he would subconsciously glance at the clock on the wall. It was taunting him, he was sure. He had purposely taken his time in the shower and during is daily rituals. He even took extra time to decide on an outfit before dressing to the 9's in cream colored hand tailored dress pants and a pastel pink button down. After which he checked his finished product, twice. Somehow he still managed to be nothing short of perfection, entirely too early. He wouldn't admit to being anxious, because he wasn't. He just needed his stomach to stop its funny fluttering feeling. He was probably getting sick. Coming down with the flue or something equally as vile. It wouldn't do much good to go out of his way to make Blair's party special, just to be sick on the actual day of the event. Not that he was making it special or anything, he was doing it solely for himself. To help promote his club or at least that's the best he had came up with so far.

Hearing the sound of obnoxious chattering in the hall followed by the unmistakable click of his bedroom door giving way, he looked up into the mirror behind the bar that gave him a direct view of the entry way, just in time to see the last two people he wanted to deal with at that precise moment. The blond duo were giggling at something one of them had said and were holding hands, looking every bit of the lovesick teenagers society and page six made them out to be. Gross, Chuck would never be caught dead acting like that. The mushy couple shit wasn't for him. Just the sight of the two, coupled with his already weak stomach was enough to make him want to throw up.

Nate was the first the duo to notice his friends presence, shouting a very loud and enthusiastic, "Chuck! My man!"

"Nathaniel, Sis." He nodded in acknowledgment. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit, as unappreciated as it is."

"We were just headed to Serena's room when we noticed you were home. Thought we would stop by and see how you were doing. Since I hadn't heard from you in a few days…" Nate explained, oblivious to his friend's inner turmoil.

"Great never better, if that's all..." the young heir drawled sarcastically. Trying to rush the predictable process and get to the inevitable part of the visit in which they stick there nose where it doesn't belong, claiming they want to help, and then leaving him in peace.

"So…What have you been up to? I feel like I haven't seen you in days," Serena commented, her voice full of concern.

"I've been busy," he stated vaguely. "I am not stupid enough to believe that your visit was to inquire about my well being. Please do not insult my intelligence by thinking me fool enough to believe otherwise. Drop the false pretenses just say whatever it is that you have come here to say and be gone, I have to meet with Blair soon."

"How are things Blair?" The blond boy addressed hesitantly, as if approaching a dangerous waters.

Chuck sent a sharp glare at the blonde duo. There it was the real reason behind the need for a drop by, Blair. He evaded the question by directing his attention to the glass of scotch clasped in his hands. Maybe if he pretended they weren't there, they would eventually get bored and go away. Find some other poor soul's life to butt into. Claiming it was for the greater good, or something equally as preposterous.

"Have you spoken with her yet?" His friend tried again, a little firmer this time, demanding an answer.

"I'm getting to it." Chuck snapped, a bit harsher than intended. He let out an audible sigh as he set the glass down on the bar.

"You need to tell her Chuck." Serena encouraged softly, sympathy swimming in her ocean blue orbs.

"I do not have to _do_ anything. It's not her business. It has nothing to do with her, the present, or the situation we are in." Chuck seethed. _Why the hell couldn't people just stay out of his life? He does enough damage himself; he doesn't need other people meddling in his affairs making it worse._

"I disagree, it's who you are. You can't deny that." She refuted, her own voice rising in frustration at his unwavering stubbornness.

"I won't apologize for not wanting my life story to be aired on gossip girl." He bit out bitterly, standing his ground.

"Blair wouldn't do that." Serena pointed out, her eyes blazing, as if she were offended that he would even consider her capable of such an act.

"How would you know what she would and wouldn't do? We don't even know her Serena! She's been here a month, we have no insight to her past. She's an outsider."

"Not everyone is out to hurt you Chuck." Nate whispered quietly, "you just have to let people in."

Seconds ticked by without a response. An awkward, thick silence filled with tension fell over the room as the brunette debated his friend's words. Sparing a glance at the clock on the wall, noting that it was a quarter till six. He decided that the room felt much too hot and stuffy. Feeling claustrophobic he came to the conclusion that he had to do what he always did when things became to real, he ran.

"If you two would excuse me, I am now _late_," Chuck lied. A scowl distorting his features as he snatched his scarf off the back of a near by chair, heading for the door in a much worse mood than he had been before.

At six thirty the elevator chimed as Chuck walked into the foyer of Blair's penthouse. After his abrupt departure from his penthouse, he had decided to forgo his limo, taking off on foot in a desperate attempt to clear his head.

"That better be the ..." the beautiful brunette yelled, stopping short when she noticed her _boyfriend _standing in front of her.

"Oh it's you. What are you doing here? I thought you said seven?" Blair mentioned offhandedly, her mind still full of confusion with the day's previous events.

"You wound me. Most females would be swooning at the mere sight of me standing in their private domain and yet here you are, questioning a gift from god," he chastised nonchalantly, as if he were speaking of the weather outside.

"You disgust me," she informed him, her lips curled in distaste.

"Duly noted I assure you. To answer you're question I had the blond squad invading my personal haven. I needed an out and you were a convent excuse." He admitted, not ashamed in the least that he had just used her.

"And yet that wasn't an answer. What are you doing here?" she repeated, placing her hands to rest upon her hips in a no nonsense sort of stance.

"I figured we should get together to go over party arrangements." Chuck replied in a tone that hinted at boredom, as if he were doing her a favor by bestowing his presence on her.

"No," she stated flatly.

"What do you mean No?" he snapped, his calm look of disinterest dissolving. "Look Waldorf, I know that we aren't in a real relationship. We may not have true feelings for each other, but I thought you could _use_ this to your advantage. As far as everyone else is concerned we are a happy couple, well kind of, but that's beside the point. Anyways what I'm trying to say is that I don't think there is a place more fitting of a queen on her birthday. Especially if the party is being thrown in her honor, by her king. Even if in reality it's just an illusion."

"I couldn't agree more, I'm impressed Bass." Blair praised, trying and failing miserably at keeping the teasing smirk off her face. She was still pissed at him; he didn't deserve an ego boaster.

"Most females are," he smirked cockily. Secretly reaping from her approval, making his mood slightly better than it was when he arrived.

"And your back." Blair groaned, earning a wink from him in return.

"Admit it Waldorf, you're Jealous." He chided playful, feeling lighter by the moment.

"As if," She scoffed in denial. Chuck hid his smile at the blatant lie; he thought it was kind of cute.

"So what did you mean?"

"_Ca ne fait rien_, it has all been taken care of." The brunette stated proudly, a smile gracing her features.

"When you say taken care of..." he pushed, ignoring the way his body reacted to the way the foreign language flowed through her lips so effortlessly.

"I mean just that. Caterers have been booked. Decorations have been decided and purchased. costumes have been ordered. Invitations have been designed and sent out. There's nothing left to plan." Blair elaborated, looking as if she would be slightly offended, should he assume anything less from her.

"We just decided on the location, not four hours ago. There is no way you could possibly have everything finished." Chuck challenged, voicing his doubt.

"It was already planned. I just had to make slight adjustments to factor in the new location," she clarified haughtily.

"You really don't play around do you Waldorf," he shook his head in astonishment.

"Never underestimate women in power with determination and a set of designer stilettos." she warned seriously.

"So I'm guessing there's no chance of getting discreetly laid on your birthday?"

"God, you're a pig." Blair scoffed in disgust.

He shrugged in nonchalance. He played it off as if he had been kidding, but honestly it was a legitimate question. It had been a while since he had gotten any.

"I've been thinking. I'm not really sure if I'm comfortable with you attending, considering…"

"Oh come off it Waldorf I was playing and you know it." Chuck defended, not understanding where the beautiful brunette was coming from.

"Well I wasn't." She challenged, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Excuse me?" Chuck voiced his astonishment, when he realized that she was indeed being serious.

"Don't play stupid Bass. It's not becoming of you. Besides you and I both know what I'm talking about." Blair stated her voice patronizing.

"Care to enlighten me, what it is your blabbering on about?" The question was more of a demand, he wasn't about to play this game with her.

"You lied to me," she accused. She fixed him with a hard glare, daring him to deny it.

"Please Waldorf; inform me of what you are referring to." He repeated, loosing his patience with the women in front of him.

"Having sexual encounters with my minions," she explained coldly.

"I didn't lie," he denied.

"Lying by omission is still a lie." Blair pointed out bitterly.

"What was I suppose to say Blair? Oh by the way, I've had a one night stand with two, out of the four girls you picked?" Chuck yelled, the ridiculousness of the situation causing him to lose the remaining shreds of cool façade.

"Yes! That way I… Wait! What?" Blair cried, freezing when his words washed over her. "You slept with two of them?"

"You didn't know?" He inquired incredulously. Damn him and his big mouth! If that wasn't what she was talking about then why were they even standing in the foyer having that conversation?

"I knew about Ava," she admitted. Her curiosity getting the better of her. "Tell me Chuck, which other one did you fuck? Was it Gretchen?"

"No," he shook his head honestly.

"Well then that leaves Katie and Is, which one was it?" Blair asked, her voice quiet and dangerous. Signaling red flags in his mind to tread carefully. she was pissed as hell.

"It was a long time ago, it doesn't matter anymore." Chuck assured her, wishing he didn't have to talk about his indiscretions', with her of all people.

"Like hell it doesn't! Which one was it?" She roared, her anger gripping her from inside. Revenge. Revenge was the only thought passing through her mind. Demanding that she acknowledge it, making it increasingly hard to focus on anything other than plotting their demise.

"Blair…" he tried, his orbs showing something slightly resembling remorse.

"Now Bass," she pushed impatiently.

"Katie okay? I slept with Katie, three years ago!" He announced loudly, emphasizing on the fact that it was history.

"I don't give a damn if it happened yesterday." Blair promised him coldly, her eyes like ice as she masked her face, hiding her emotions from his view.

"It meant nothing. She doesn't matter to me. None of them do," he tried to reason, feeling his control of the situation slip.

"What is that suppose to mean?" She questioned skeptically, her eyes searching his face for sincerity.

"I'm still trying to figure that out." Chuck admitted quietly, avoiding eye contact as he stared down at his expensive.

"Does this have something to do with why you freaked out on me the other night?" She wondered aloud, still watching his every move.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he denied. Unwilling meet her gaze, he could feel her scrutinizing him.

"Don't be stupid, it does nothing for you're …." She bit out, not in the mood to beat around the bush.

"I just don't like Carter," Chuck insisted, cutting her off. His eyes snapped up to her in the process, his voice relaying the seriousness behind his words.

"Why?" she questioned, feeling as if it were the first honest conversation she ever had with the mystery that is Chuck Bass.

His phone beeped loudly through the room, signaling a incoming text message. Offering Blair an apologetic look, he pulled out his black berry, hitting the view button.

_**Family dinner Friday night. Both mandatory & nonnegotiable, can't weasel out of this one. Believe me I tried. – S**_

Sighing he closed his phone; he would deal with that later.

"It's a long story." Chuck admitted, noticing that the the brunette was looking at his phone curiously.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Blair cried.

"I promise I will tell you everything soon enough," he assured her reluctantly. It wasn't as if he had a say in the matter.

Silence followed his statement as she considered his words.

"You like me." Blair teased lightly, her face still stoic.

"Yes? No? I don't know, half the time I can't stand you." Chuck informed her, uncomfortable with truth in his comment. "But I know that I like having you around."

"Is that why you and..." she started, only to be effectively cut off.

"I'll pick you up on Friday at eight forty five and well arrive together around nine."

"No need bass," she refused.

"I'm sorry?" he returned, not comprehending the fact that he had been blatantly denied.

"I said there was no need, I have a ride. Actually I already have a date as well." She explained as if she were talking to a young toddler.

"What?"

"Thank you for letting me use your club, but you're still uninvited." Blair replied, sending him an evil smirk as she made her way past him.

"You can't bar me from my own club!" Chuck yelled after her retreating form as she disappeared into the elevator.

Just like that, Chuck Bass was pissed.

* * *

The next day Blair stepped out onto the street in her traditional Constance Billiard uniform. A high waisted navy pencil skirt, a navy and white pin stripped button down and her navy blazer that had red lining. Her red tie tied tightly at her throat. A giant red silk bow in her polished cascading brown curls. A red Dooney and Bourke, Hayden, bag with cream accents and a pair of red Louboutin heels on her pedicured toes. A thirty-six thousand dollar gold and diamond encrusted Chanel watch that took form of a flower on her dainty wrist to compete the outfit. Deciding to take advantage of the perfect weather, she started in the direction of school on foot. Nothing could ruin her good mood. It was finally Thursday. Just a mere two days shy of her party, where her latest games will begin. She was so enamored in her thoughts of destruction; she quiet literally ran smack dab into the arms of the last person she expected to see on her short journey. Carter Baizen, causing the few books she was carrying to tumble recklessly to the ground, landing with a loud 'thump'.

Noting that she was just a few short blocks from her precious soon-to-be, Alma mater, she contemplated on the best course of action. All strategies to gracefully slip from the scene unscathed where royally screwed when he bent down to pick up her belongs. Gathering her things, her looked up at her and smirked. It didn't suit him as well as it did Chuck she decided, mentally chastising herself for even thinking of the basstard with anything short of revulsion.

She stuck her arms out, expecting him to gently deposit the literature into her awaiting hands. Surprised when he gripped it tighter in his own, it didn't look as if he were planning to give it back. Lowering her arms to her sides she frowned at him.

"Nothing short of perfection, just as I remember?" Carter praised, his eyes taking her appearance from head to toe. Coming from Chuck it was natural, almost comforting. Coming from the man in front of her, it made her a little uneasy, like she was being harassed sexually. There was nothing charming about it.

"Thank you." Blair replied politely, practically forcing herself to form the words.

"Headed to school?" he questioned, "let me walk you there."

"That's quite unnecessary." Blair assured, reaching for her books again.

"Why? Worried about what your boyfriend might think?" He challenged, hold the textbooks slightly out of her reach.

"Hardly." The brunette stated, rolling her eyes in the process and dropping her arms again.

"Well then, I'm heading that direction anyways. I don't see any harm in accompany you." Carter explained, trying to sway her.

"Fine," she relented, annoyed at his persistence.

The remained of the walk was awkward. He was smarmy. Not in the cute smarmy way either. He was smarmy in a way that made her cringe just from speaking to him. Creep. She could definitely see why Serena and Chuck wanted her to stay clear of him. She letting out a breath she had been holding in relief as they stepped onto school grounds. Even the eye's boring into back were more comfortable than the thought of being alone with the guy. Chuck was looking at her, she wasn't stupid. She could practically feel his eyes burning a hole into her skin as she walked into the court yard, Carter by her side. Even she had to admit it was a bit odd. She wasn't naive enough to believe in coincidences, but even she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to make that Chuck Basstard riled up.

Exchanging a quick good bye with Carter, he handed her her books and pressed a disgustingly wet kiss against her cheek before leaving. She could feel Chuck's annoyance and need to speak with her. Quickly she darted into the nearest girls' hall, practically running to her first class early in hopes of avoiding him.

Serena managed to corner the evasive brunette at lunch. She was sitting in the library away from prying eyes, munching on her yogurt in private as she flipped through the pages in her Trigonometry book.

"Hey B!" The blond exclaimed bubbly. Sneaking up behind Blair, causing the brunette to jump in surprise.

"Oh! Hey S, I didn't see you there."

"Chuck's looking for you." The bond tested slowly, earning a humph in response.

"He seems pissed, care to talk about it?" Serena asked hesitantly. Trying to remember the material she had read. _Talk about feelings. Don't press the issue, just let her know I'm here for her,_ she chanted to herself.

"Not really," Blair shrugged.

"Well I'm here for you, you know if you ever need someone." The blonde offered, she had expected as much, but at least she could reassure her friend that she had someone.

"I know, thank you S." The brunette stated sincerely, smiling at her best friend.

"What are best friend's for?" Serena teased lightly.

"To use for connections?" Blair questioned playfully, causing the blond to laugh, as she sat down beside her.

"Hey B, we're having a family dinner tomorrow. I was wondering if you wanted to join? My mom's been dying to meet you!" The blond asked nervously.

The brunette thought about it for a moment. She assumed Chuck would be there, but her best friend wanted her there.

"I would love to," she answered, receiving a large grin from the girl._ She could do this. She was a Waldorf._

* * *

That after noon after class, Jenny Humphrey walked through the dirty streets of Brooklyn with tear stained cheeks.

She had shown up to work the other day only to be told that she wouldn't be needed and that Mr. Bass was out on location with Miss Waldorf. How had everything gotten so messed up? She was supposed to be the queen. The position was rightfully hers; it had been handed to her. She didn't think it was fair that some new girl could just swoop in and take what was hers. The brunette had successful stolen her step-sister, even though she wasn't close with her it hurt, her position, and Chuck. The bitch even took over her job! It was like she out to get her, like the sole reason for her existence was to make Jenny's life completely miserable. Well not anymore, job or no job, she was putting her foot down. She wasn't going to let Blair walk all over her anymore. She already had a plan in effect; it was just taking much longer than she had hoped it would. She needed something that could help her now. She didn't want to be little J. She wanted to be Queen J, as it should be, and she wasn't about to back down without a fight.

Wiping at her face viciously, she walked up the stairs towards the loft that she lived in with her brother Dan. The last thing she needed was an interrogation. She paused at the door to take a deep breath, sticking her hand out; she twisted the knob softly and pushed it open. Once she was inside the not so fashionable apartment she closed the door quietly. Her brother sat at the table, eating a bowl of cereal while he flipped though a large copy of 'Salem's lot'. She headed in the direction of her room. It had been a horrid day and she didn't feel like she had it in her to pretend everything was okay long enough for a conversation with her sibling to take place.

"Jen, you're home. Dad called, he said were having a family dinner tomorrow night," he smiled warmly looking up from his book and setting his spoon down.

"Not now Dan. I'm not in the mood to talk," she scowled. _Smooth, so much for not letting it show._

"What happened?" Dan asked, concern filling his voice as he took in his sisters appearance for the first time.

"Nothing! That's the problem." She fumed, throwing her arms in the air in exaggeration.

"Oh well…" he started, trying to make her feel a little better by a little good news.

"Later, promise," she interrupted. Holding her hand out to silence him as she walked toward the sanctuary of her bedroom.

"I was just going to say…" he tried again, knowing that it would help.

"I said not right now Dan!" Jenny yelled, closing her door a little harder than intended.

She sighed, closing her eyes as her back hit the wall. Pealing herself off of it, she walked to her bed and ungracefully plopped down on it without looking at the uncomfortably small mattress. A sharp pain shot through her back as she landed directly on top of a large hard rectangular box.

"Ouch," she complained. Opening her eyes and sat up to see what it was that had stabbed her. Picking up the red box with the over-sized black silk bow, her eyes grew wide with excitement. It was a present! Jumping off the bed she ran back into the living area, box in hand.

"What is this?" the blonde rushed out, a smile over taking her face.

"That's what I was trying to tell you. Those arrived for you today." Dan stated knowingly. He knew it would put her in a better mood, everybody loves gifts.

"Who would send me presents?" She wondered aloud, racking her brain for any current admirers.

"I don't know. They were hand delivered by some polish lady. I couldn't understand what she was saying. All I gathered from the conversation is that they were for you," he informed her unhelpfully as she began tearing at the bow until it gave way. Ripping the paper, she opened the box.

"Oh my god," she whispered in awe, her eyes sweeping over the contents.

"What is it?" her brother questioned curiously.

"Vintage gold earrings, necklace, and ring," she breathed, her mind frozen in shock.

"Maybe it's from Lily." He offered, guessing who would be able to afford gifting that kind of present.

"Doubt it; she is thought full but not that thoughtful." She commented honestly, voicing her skepticism.

"Is there a note?" Dan asked, intrigued with the new mystery. He always fancied himself a detective.

"Here it is, it's an invitation!" The blond exclaimed with excitement.

"To where?" He pressed.

"Blair's birthday?" she questioned in surprise. The smile slipping from her face," Oh, there's a note, this cant be good,"

_Jenny Humphrey, no this is not a mistake. You read correctly. You should have received an aged pearl and gold necklace with a little clock on it, a pair of gold and diamond bow earrings complete with matching pearls, and a gold and diamond ring in the form of a trumpet. I have had them sent over to complete your costume. They are all priceless vintage artifacts, DO NOT pawn them or do anything equally Brooklyn-ish. They are a gift. If you attend the party, they are yours to keep. Should you take me up on my offer, you will arrive alone. I want none of your minion's present at my party. It is invite only, so you will need your invitation to get in. While there, you will behave with as much grace as you can possibly muster, treat me with respect and show me what your worth. This party will be your introduction to the UES as one of my mean girls. Should you have any questions, we will further discuss it at the party. If your costume has not arrived yet, Dorota should be there later today to drop it off. Be thankful little J, I'm giving you a break. You have one shot; I wouldn't make the wrong decision if I were you. Good luck._

_Blair Waldorf_

"What's it say?" her brother asked once she had finished reading.

"That she wants me to be at her party and that the jewelry is for my costume," she answered vaguely, leaving out the rest of the message.

"What's the theme?" he inquired, interested and a little put off that he hadn't been invited.

"Alice and Wonderland," she stated distantly. It was all very confusing. _Why would Blair of all people invite her to a party? Unless it was a joke or worse, a set up._

"What character is that?" Dan asked, bringing the blond out of her inner debate.

"I-I don't know," Jenny answered honestly, "but it says that if my costume isn't here yet, that it should be soon."

"She didn't give me a costume." Dan admitted, jealous of his little sister's happiness.

"When did she drop these off?" She questioned, excitement eating at her gut once again. So what if it was Blair, she was still a little girl at heart and any excuse to get dressed up and party made her a little giddy.

"About an hour ago," he replied. "Why? Are you going to go?"

"I don't know," she sighed dejectedly, she was at an inner conflict. She wanted to go; it was just, well it was Blair, and knowing her she had something nasty planned for her when she got there.

A thunderous knock at the door broke her reverie.

"Coming," Dan yelled, raising is eye brows in amused. He shot a look in his sister's direction as he swung the door open to reveal a short, over weight, Polish Maid that looked to be carrying at least half of her wait in boxes.

"Here let me help you with that," Dan offered, taking a few from the top and setting them down on the near by table.

Jenny jumped off the couch, noticing the amount presents that awaited her.

"Whoa, that's a lot of boxes," she announced in glee.

"Miss Blair, very detailed." Dorota nodded, out of breath from the large load of gifts.

"I can see that," she muttered, eyeing the petite woman with concern. She looked as if she would fall over at any moment.

"Thank you," she acknowledged politely, curiosity killing her. She couldn't wait to see her costume!

"What to tell miss Blair?" The maid questioned through her thick accent.

"That I will consider it." Jenny answered, a brilliant smile gripping her features.

"I should go, very busy with party," The maid explained apologetically.

"Thank you, again." The blonde repeated sincerely.

"What is all of this?" Dan wondered aloud, gesturing at the large pile of boxes.

* * *

**Looks like King C is in for a little not so friendly competition. Trouble in paradise? His queen was spotted walking side by side with none other than our former king. Carter. Rumor has it, our current king was not to pleased with the recent development. My advice steer clear of the wrath of the Bass. Betrayal could make even the sane go a bit off their rocker, let's face it, we all know C was a bit unstable to begin with. Unresolved feelings C? Or are they just unspoken. Our queen on the other hand seems to have went MIA for the day. Can't say I blame her. I wouldn't want to deal with a clingy boyfriend either. Memo to C: no one likes desperation, you out of all people should understand that. Right now, you reek of it. C- Take a shower, get a drink, I'm predicting a cold front. Bundle up for the storm little ones, this next one is sure to be a dozy.**

**xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**

* * *

**A/N:**_ Tell me what you think!_

'Ca ne fait rien' - It does not matter.

"Naive"-The kooks


	11. Fuitle

Later that day, Blair was seated per usual in her small corner, donning the same attire she had worn to school that day. She was already half way through highlighting the finer points in the thick stack of History notes by the time Chuck arrived at the office. She could feel the anger seeping from very pore on his body as he entered, tension straining the confined room.

"What the hell was that all about?" He demanded immediately, swiftly making his way over to his large chair behind his desk.

"What was what about?" she questioned innocently, not bothering to spare a glance away from the text in front of her. Although she could feel his heated glare trained on her well postured form, she feigned indifference to his presence.

"Damn it! Don't play with me Waldorf," he warned quietly. Slamming his fist down on the wood in front of him, trying to vent his rage.

"Relax Bass, It was nothing short of a coincidence." Blair sighed in assurance, not really believing her own words as they tumbled out of her perfectly painted mouth.

"I'm sure that's all it was, because that shit happens outside of your sappy romance novels," he scoffed, unconvinced.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," the brunette defended, her voice hard.

"You do when you are compromising our agreement." Chuck argued, refusing to let it go.

He had spent all day fuming over her little display in the court yard with his one time friend turned enemy. As the day wore on, it had become apparent that she was purposely avoiding him, enraging him further. Having the whole day to stew over the familiar at ease way the two acted during that mornings exchange, he had considered every possibility of what it could mean. As the day went on without an answer, the more far fetched his thoughts became. _Was Carter up to something? What did it mean for him and Blair? Was there something going on between the Carter and Blair? Was this all part of some elaborate scheme to humiliate him? Where they __dating__, secretly laughing at him behind his back?_ _Or was it an honest coincidence?_ Somehow he didn't believe the last one possible.

"I hardly compromised anything," she denied, rolling her eyes at his temper tantrum. Honestly, he was acting like a spoilt child that had been denied his favorite sweets.

"Do you know what people are saying? Have you read Gossip Girl?" He questioned relentlessly, desperate for her to admit she was in the wrong.

"That has nothing to do with me. That was your own doing. You and your jealous boyfriend act brought that upon yourself," she chided. His accusations were annoying her. He was always so quick to place the blame on anyone but himself.

"Well how do you think that looks? Having my girlfriend gallivant around in the arms of my enemy. Seemingly carefree, not considering my feelings in the least?" Chuck snapped, pretending to be victimized.

"I wasn't aware you cared," she droned.

"Bullshit Blair and you know it. I have stated repeatedly that I do not like him! I don't want you around him. I asked you to stay away from and you agreed, did you not?" he hissed, his dark orbs filled to the brim with hate.

"And yet you give me no reason as to why!" She shouted indignantly, tired of avoiding the truth.

"I told you I would explain the situation later," Chuck scolded, as if she were a wayward child.

"Later," she echoed bitterly. "That's your answer for everything, eventually I'll find out. You know I will."

_'That's what I'm afraid of_', he thought scathingly before taking a deep breath in order to sooth his nerves and push some of his anger away. He hated that she had the ability to make him lose his control. That she could turn him into some jealous sap. It was unseemly for him to go around, envying any man she decided to talk to. He was a Bass; Basses do not under any circumstance loose their cool.

"How is your party coming along?" Chuck asked in attempt to steer away from the dark direction the conversation ha turned to.

"Splendid, you're still uninvited," she deadpanned.

"I figured as much," he admitted, asking the one thing he wasn't sure he wanted an answer to. "Is Carter planning to be in attendance?"

"He's not on the guest list," she stated vaguely.

"Never stopped him before, he's known for crashing parties," he warned.

"Funny, I could say the same about you," Blair replied, offering him a mock smile.

"Ha-ha Very funny Waldorf, I'm being serious."

"So am I. I wouldn't want anything getting in the way of what I have planed. Surprises are seriously discouraged in this case. I can't afford to be distracted," she commented.

"What's this plan?" he inquired, a little interested in her plotting abilities.

"Not what, it's who, and the who in this case takes form of my White Rabbit," she clarified proudly.

"You got a new mean girl?" He questioned, surprised at the abruptness of her change in plans.

"My birthday will be her official debut as a mean girl, yes." She replied shortly, informing him of the new development.

"Who?"

"Who do you think?"

Taking a few seconds to sift through every possible candidate in his head, his mind could only think of one person worthy, or in this case, unworthy enough to fit into Blair's standards.

"You can't be serious?" He hissed in disbelief.

"Oh but I am. As the saying goes _Mr. Bass_, keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Blair elaborated an evil glint on display in her chestnut orbs.

"Jenny Humphrey is your white rabbit." Chuck frowned, still unable to wrap his head around what she was saying to him. He tried to imagine what it was that could possibly gain from having Jenny as part of her crew. What would that mean? Would that mean that the littlest Humphrey was accepting defeat? That didn't sound like Jenny. He would have to keep a closer eye on her. Exploit whatever it was that she was up to before she got a chance to act on it.

"Yes, why is that a problem?" Blair asked snidely, sticking her nose in the air. _Who was he to question her judgment? She was the Queen B, what she says goes, no question about it._

"No, I just can't see why you chose her." He answered disdainfully. Careful not to let his thinly veiled anger betray his mask of indifference. Who was she to treat him as if he were below her?

"I don't know Bass, maybe because she's the one person in this town that you haven't slept with!" She whispered harshly between clenched teeth.

"Now that's doesn't entirely ring true is it?" he smirked, unable to resist leering at her. He knew it made her uncomfortable and at that moment, he wanted to see her squirm.

"Arrogant Bastard," she mumbled under her breath.

"Pardon?" he asked innocently, feigning disinterest. He had heard what she said; he just wanted her to repeat the foul words.

"You heard what I said." Blair clarified confidently before elaborating further. "Unless your hearing is just as incompetently useless as the rest of your person. You are an egocentric, power grubbing, manic. You pretend to be this untouchable force, thriving off the fear that everyone holds for you. You have all these people brainwashed into believing that you are superior to them. It's a sick joke. You're nothing but a spoiled, pathetic, insecure little boy. Hiding behind your title in society, drugs, and whores. You make sure that no one can get close to you. Using your power over others to justify the importance of your life, make it feel more meaningful, so that you don't have to face the truth of what you really are."

"Like your all sunshine and rainbows," he quipped bitterly, cutting her off while ignoring the stab in his chest at the truth in her words.

"What's that suppose to mean?" she questioned defensively, her body tensing for the upcoming spat.

"You know damn well what I mean Waldorf," Chuck chastised while stepping closer to her. "You are no better than I. Don't pretend. You shouldn't be so condescending. The only difference between the two of us is that I choose to acknowledge my faults, my mistakes, and people expect it from me. I am only human. You on the other hand are a hypocrite." He came to a stop less than an inch away from her, so close to her body that he reached out and cupped her face with his left palm, lowering his voice into a whisper. "No one knows the real you. You won't let them get close enough. It's too much of a gamble. You're afraid of being hurt… so instead you hide behind a facade. People believe what you want them to believe. They make you out to be this Ice queen; ruthless, manipulative, and vengeful. Who always get what she wants. The price of which doesn't matter and if it's not for sale, she just takes it. I know better than that Blair. I know that's not who you really are. You may have everyone else fooled into thinking you're some perfect society girl, but not me."

Leaning in he menacingly whispered the last part across her lips, "I know your hiding something and I intend to find out what that is," before pulling her into an aggressive, demanding, primal kiss. Even angry the sexual chemistry between the two of them sparked, crackling dangerously in the area around them and leaving them wanting more. Breaking the harsh contact from her mouth to force in a lung full of air, he strategically placed kisses alone her jawbone before brushing his lips against her ear. Inwardly smirking when he felt her soft frame respond to his touch and shiver in delight.

"For the record, I may be a _bastard_." Chuck rasped, "but at least I'm not a cold hearted,controlling _bitch._" He continued, gloating rudely into her ear, his voice raw and thick with undefined emotions.

She quickly pulled back from his embrace, meeting his gaze, her chocolate orbs set in determination. Placing her small hands against his chest, she pushed him slightly away from her, effectively distancing their bodies as she held him at arms length.

"Don't ever try that something like that again," she warned, the unspoken threat weaving through her words. She was lightheaded from the intensity of the kiss. She knew she hit a sore spot. Why else would he lash out at her?

"A pot calling the kettle black, I love it." He smirked crudely, completely ignoring the empty request. He couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling that she was seeing Carter behind his back. He felt the need to hurt her, like she hurt him. Even if she wasn't aware that she had done anything.

* * *

After the argument between her and Chuck, he had let her leave early, which had been fine for her considering the time it took to get ready. After emptying out the entire contents of her closet and sifting through it twice, she had settled on wearing a little black Gucci dress. Audrey Hepburn at her finest, it was tight yet conservative. The fabric itself was short and sleeveless. Stopping half way to her knee, it chose to flaunt the length of her smooth creamy legs instead of baring cleavage. The high neckline toned down the size of her chest modestly. She had chosen to match the neutral colored material with a pair of close toed silver and black Christian Louboutin Jem's that adorned her size six feet comfortably. Gathering he curls to the side, she had pulled them into a bun at the nape of her slender neck. A silver head band with an over-sized black bow perfectly placed on top to complete the ensemble, classy and tasteful. Going for a more natural look, she kept her make up at a minimal. A brush of clear gloss coated on her nude lips, light eyeliner and mascara to make her eyes pop, and a stroke blush for a soft bronzed glow across her even toned skin.

The overall appeal of the brunette greatly contrasted with her best friend, who had decided on wearing a 'barley there', bright red Fendi dress. Falling mid-thigh with a deep v cut into the front, the material left little to the imagination. Her tousled curls had been left untouched and fell down her back in golden waves. Like Blair she had opted to wear light make up, the only difference was that her friend had matched the color of her lips with her dress. With a black clutch in hand and a black pair of Jimmy Choo's on her feet, the two were complete opposites. The brunette had to strive for carefully polished perfection while the blond didn't even try and came out looking like a carefree natural beauty. Serena was the Marilyn Monroe to Blair's Audrey.

They rode together in the back of a town car Serena's mother had sent for them. The ride was a quiet one, both too lost in their own thoughts to carry on a conversation.

Playing with black beading that adorned the silver clutch in her lap, Blair's mind was stuck on Chuck. She wasn't really sure what to think of him. Most of the time she hated him… but then there were moments, like at the office earlier that day, when she was at a loss. Moments when she neither liked, nor detested him. The moments were rare and fleeting, but they showed a side of him that she could actually... like? At the very least tolerate. Lost in thoughts of her fake boyfriend, she couldn't help but wonder how he would react to her being at his family dinner.

Serena on the other hand was internally freaking out. She was having second thoughts; maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring Blair to dinner after all. She tried to find the reasoning in her logic. They would be mad, yes, but it would pass. Its not like they could be mad at her forever, she was only trying to help. Plus, it was a little too late to back out now. Seeing the building come into view she squared her shoulders and convinced herself that she was, in fact, doing the right thing.

"I change my mind." Blair blurted to her best friend as the vehicle came to a stop outside of an exclusive restaurant.

"What?" The blond questioned, bewildered at the brunettes panicked state.

"I can't do this," she clarified. Her face set and determined as she refused eye contact.

"Get out of the car." Serena stated flatly.

"No."

"You're being childish. Get out of the car _now_," her best friend demanded. The usual bubbly, carefree tone gone, instead it was hard, showing no room for argument.

The seriousness in her friend's voice catching her off guard, she turned to meet the blonds gaze, her dark eyes wide with surprise. Regaining the will to move, she frowned, casting a glare in the other girl's direction before shaking her head stubbornly.

"Blair…" she sighed, her tone softening "What's wrong? You were fine when we left. What changed?"

"That was before I had the chance to run through multiple scenarios in my mind, all of which had equally disastrous alternate endings. What if they don't like me?" the brunette admitted, breaking eye contact once again.

"That's what you're concerned about?" Serena asked, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"My first impression will define how they look at me for the rest of my life."

"You want our parents to like you. That's so cute B! "She gushed excitedly.

"It's strictly business, I assure you. You're mother is basically the chairwoman for all things high society. How she views me will either make me or send me into social pariah." Blair defended, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. She didn't want her to think that it was because she wanted Chuck's parents approval of her. Feeling anxious she continued, "Can you blame me for being nervous. I'm a Waldorf! Waldorf's are not wallflowers. I would be a disgrace to my family!"

Serena stifled a laugh at her best friends over active imagination, clearing her throat in attempt to drop the smile after receiving another glare from the curly-haired brunette.

"She will love you," the blond promised, patting the hand that rested in Blair's lap reassuringly.

"What if your brother doesn't want me here? Or worse, lashes out at me for imposing on his family. I get the distinct feeling that he doesn't want me to meet them," she wondered aloud, suddenly very aware that it was a possibility considering he had already lashed out at her once that day.

"Tough luck, you're not here for him. You're here because I want you here," Serena friend reminded her. Noticing that her friend still had her doubts, she pressed on. "Besides, you said yourself. You're a Blair Waldorf. Since when do you care what Chuck Bass wants?"

"Touche." She smirked.

"Great. Now that that's settled can we get out? I'm starving." The blond whined while sporting a playful pout, causing Blair to chuckle in amusement as they stepped out onto the street and into the building.

* * *

Chuck Bass rode the back of his limo, scowling at the scenery through his window as it passed by, seeing it as the source of his foul mood. Realistically, he knew that it wasn't the trees, the street vendor's, the passing pedestrians, or even the buildings fault that he was being subjected to endure his 'family's' company through dinner. His mind however, placed the blame solely on the universe conspiring against him. Hens glaring at the world around him. He hated 'family' get-together's, firstly because they weren't his family. Secondly because he hated feeling as if he didn't belong, which Lily's husband went out of his way to point out every time he was around. He had tried to get out of attending. Serena hadn't been lying when she had informed him that it was nonnegotiable. After a good solid two hours on the phone with his lovely step mother, she had guilt tripped him into going. Thinking about his step mother brought back unwanted memories of his father, vaguely, he wondered what his father would have thought about him having a girlfriend (even if it was for show), what he would have thought about Blair herself? He would never know.

Deciding that he was going to have to have a strong drink if he was going to get through the night, he opened his mini fridge and poured himself a much needed scotch. Taking a sip, he closed his eyes, savoring the liquid as it burned its way down his throat and settled warmly in his stomach. Glancing out the window again, he noticed a head of familiar blond hair coming up from the subway and trying to catch a cab. Reluctantly, he ordered his driver to stop. He didn't want to look like an ass for ignoring the girl and not giving her a ride to dinner. Besides, they were going to the same place, it wasn't like it was that big of an inconvenience to him. Even if her presence was less than desired.

Seeing her eye the limo suspiciously, he rolled down the glass separating the two of them and quirked his eyebrow.

"Need a lift?" Chuck questioned, his face not betraying how he really felt.

She smiled in relieve before opening the door and sliding in beside him.

"Thanks, your a life saver. I seriously thought I was going to have to walk all the way there," she stated. Obviously grateful that he had came to her rescue (albeit reluctantly).

Offering a quick nod in response, he returned to scowling out the window, cursing his luck as he ignored the girl all together. Inconvenience or not, he wished he hadn't noticed her. That way she would have had to walk and he would have had a reason as to why he hadn't given her a ride, without looking like the bad guy that everyone loves to make him out to be.

"I'm sorry, do you have a reservation?" The hostess asked unkindly.

"It's under Lily Van Der Woodsen," Serena replied, matching the girls snide tone.

Blair smirked, watching the girls eyes widen in recognition, no doubt fearing for the safety of her job.

"Oh, yes. Well, right this way please," the girl stuttered, realizing her mistake.

Upon seeing her daughter Lily, her husband, and his son stood up from the table, ready to greet them.

Noticing the older couple waiting for them to arrive, Blair was painfully aware of two things: One, that the couple in front of her looked nothing like the picture in Chucks room and the second, that the woman could do much better than the man standing at her side. Thinking back, she remembered the first time she had ever visited Chuck and Serena's house. Serena had said that they didn't like her mothers husband (obviously the man at the table) at the time, she had wondered why Chuck didn't like his own father. It was because he wasn't his father. She was also always implying that it was Chucks story to tell. After that, all of the pieces starting shifting in her mind and falling to place, leaving her with two answers. Either Chuck Bass was adopted, or he was lying about the people in the picture being his parents. The second one would mean the man beside Serena's mother, was indeed his father, which brought back the thought of him hating his own father, she thought that possibility highly unlikely seeing as the man didn't resemble her boyfriend in the slightest. Not to mention the lack of fashion sense and reeking heavily of no money. The two men were complete opposites. That brought her back to her first assumption. He was adopted. If that were the case, why not just tell her. Why the need for secrecy? Was there more to it than that? Did he not trust her? Did he think she would judge him? Or was he embarrassed?

Spotting the older spitting image of her self, Serena smiled at her and picked up the pace.

"Serena!" The woman smiled, pulling her daughter into a warm embrace. Blair felt a twinge of jealously and the public display, noting that her own mother hadn't hugged her in years.

Noticing the young girl behind her daughter, she pulled from the embrace to introduce herself.

"You must be Blair! Oh! You're so beautiful!" The older blond exclaimed, smiling warmly towards the brunette.

"Thank you, it is so nice to finally meet you Mrs. -!" She replied, using her most charming smile, the one that displayed all of her perfect and pearly white teeth.

"Just call me Lily I insist," Serena's mother declared, pulling her into a small friendly hug.

"Lily," the brunette echoed, shocked at the contact from a woman she didn't know. It had been a long time since she had been held by anyone, let alone a parent.

"Serena talks about you all the time," the blond woman bragged as she pulled away.

"Exaggerations I'm sure," Blair laughed in good nature, noticing as a mousy brown haired boy join them.

"Blair, this is my mother's husband Rufus, his son Dan, and well, my mother. Family, meet Blair Waldorf." Serena announced proudly.

"Wait, Blair Waldorf?" Dan? questioned, scrutinizing her.

"Yes."

"As in _The_ Blair Waldorf," he restated, not believing his eyes.

"The one and only," she clarified, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Not what I expected," he admitted. Shrugging his shoulders, he glanced back at the door, as if waiting for someone to arrive.

"Have you spoken with Chuck?" Serena asked, directing the question toward her mother.

"Unfortunately you were correct, Charles called me with what was a feeble excuse at best. After much persuasion on my part, I finally talked him into it. He should be here any minute," Mrs. V.. Lily answered.

"And your sister?" Lily's husband inquired, obviously speaking to the mousy haired kid, Dan.

"Talked to her about twenty minutes ago, said she was on the way," he stated, pausing once again to look at the entrance.

"Why don't we all go head and sit down, there's no point in stand around waiting for them," Lily suggested as she walked back to the seat she had previously vacated.

The rest of the group followed suit seating themselves around the table. Serena sat at the end of the table, Dan across from her. Lily beside her daughter and husband across from her. Blair sat beside Lily, leaving three seats empty, one across from her, the one beside it, and the one to her right.

"So Blair, tell us about yourself. Serena mentioned you just moved from France." Lily stated, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over the table.

"Yes, maim. My mother is a fashion designer, head of Waldorf designs. She recently relocated her head quarters here, so she and I thought it fit to move here as well," she stated, not mentioning the other factors that had played part in her mothers sudden need to leave home.

"I bet that must be hard on your father, being away from you and your mother," the woman commented sympathetically.

There was a slight pause, before Blair cleared her throat and answered.

"Recently divorced actually," she admitted, choosing to ignore the questioning look in her best friends eyes.

"I am sorry to hear that," Lily responded honestly, earning a small smile in thanks from the brunette.

"Every thing happens for a reason I suppose." Blair replied, desperately wanting a change of subject.

"If you don't mind me asking," she continued when she noticed she was going to have to direct it herself. "How are you related to Chuck?"

The woman opened her mouth to tell her, but her husband beat her to it.

"Charles is Lily's adopted son," Rufus answered vaguely, choosing to ignore that his wife had in fact been married to his father.

"Oh," _She knew it!_

Shooting a glare at her step- father Serena decided she would elaborate for her mother. Before she could speak however, her lovely step-brother interrupted whatever it was that she was going to say. Damn Humphrey men and their manners, or lack there of.

"Look, there here," Dan announced in relief.

The entire table turned to look in the direction in which he was pointing. Curious brown orbs immediately locked with angry green ones. She was a little taken back by the hostility directed towards her. She knew that he wouldn't appreciate her showing up to dinner after their last encounter, but she didn't think he would be angry with her. Realizing that he was vastly approaching the table she was seated at and that he was not alone, she broke eye contact to shoot a glance at the girl beside him. Freezing when she noticed that he had arrived to _his_ family dinner (one that he hadn't even mentioned to her) with none other than Jenny Humphrey. Glaring at the girl, she prided herself when she saw the girl squirm uncomfortably underneath her gaze. Either she was a part of this royally fucked family or he didn't know she would be here and brought Jenny as his date. She didn't know why the latter thought bothered her so much.

* * *

Chuck gave the hostess his step-mothers name as he walked through the door of the restaurant they were meeting at, Jenny in tow. He knew they were a little late, He just hoped Lily wouldn't be too upset with them, traffic had been a bitch.

Following behind the young girl as she directed them to their awaiting party, he noticed a familiar set of chocolate curls seated with his family. _Serena_, he thought angrily. He was pissed. He should have expected for her to try something. She was always sticking her nose where it didn't belong. He glared at the brunette, his eyes boring into her small frame, as if it were somehow her fault that she was there.

He didn't take notice as everyone at the table turned to him and the girl at his side, no, his eyes were solely focused on the pair of questioned chestnut orbs staring back at him. He tried to relay his anger and frustration at her presence. Feeling a little bit better as he watched hers widen a fraction before going blank, settling herself behind her ice mask for the upcoming confrontation. For such a smart girl she was often dim, as if he would start a scene in a public place, in front of his family no less.

Deciding that he would rather not sit by the blond he had arrived with, he settled with sitting by the lesser of two evils and took a set next to his oh-so-wonderful girlfriend, internally smirking as he felt her stiffen beside him. Leaving Jenny to either set across from Blair or himself, he watched as the blond internally debated before taking the set across from her enemy.

A chorus of 'hello's' and 'how have you been's' echoed around the table. He noted however, that Blair remained silent, her eyes trained straight ahead on the girl across from her.

After everyone settled in, Lily started to make comfortable small talk to lighten the mood.

"So Blair, Do you ever go to visit him?" the older woman inquired, catching his attention. He vaguely wondered what they had talked about in his absence, as the question was obviously part of a previous conversation. He had obviously missed something.

"Whom?" Blair asked innocently, her gaze finally lifting from Jenny, in order to properly address Serena's mother.

"You're father dear." Lily clarified, as the waiter came to renew their drinks and take the new arrivals beverage orders.

"Yes ma'am, I have planned a trip to spend the upcoming summer at his vineyard in France. Maybe spend a few weeks shopping in Paris." She answered, noting her friend frown at the unexpected news.

"That will be lovely." The woman assured her, unaware of her daughters saddened expression.

"I was actually hoping that Serena would join me for my trip," Blair continued, in an attempt to cheer her best friend.

"Really?" Serena exclaimed, a radiant smile over taken her face, causing the brunette to laugh merrily.

Chuck mentally noted that she had a beautiful laugh and smile, it almost made him forget his previous anger towards her. Almost, but not quiet. He caught a glimpse of Jenny's put out demeanor. Maybe if she wasn't such a desperate and conniving bitch, she would have a best friend of her own.

"Really," the brunette replied, a smile still gracing her plump bow lips.

"That would be amazing" the blond squealed.

"That's a wonderful idea, Serena hasn't been to France since she was eight. I doubt she even remembers it by now." Lily commented, taking a sip of her water.

"I can't wait!" The blond gushed, making Blair giggle again at her friends unabashed happiness.

"Any French lovers you would like to tell us about? Old flames you hope to rekindle? I hear that the French are the most romantic." The woman inquired, a knowing grin adorning her face.

Again, there was a slight pause from the brunette herself as the waiter brought back their drinks and started taking orders around the table.

"Lily, Chuck is Blair's boyfriend. I'm sure he doesn't want to hear about her ex's," Jenny stated, trying to join in on the conversation, she had no idea the entire family dinner was going to be about Blair.

"Oh how wonderful!" Lily exclaimed a proud glow surrounding her. She stopped the conversation long enough to order her food before chastising her daughter, "Serena you didn't mention that Charles had a girlfriend."

"I figured he would have mentioned it," the blond defended honestly, causing the woman to stare pointedly at her step- son.

"It's never been the right time to announce it, besides we just started seeing each other not to long ago," he lied easily.

"Well nonsense, Charles doesn't mind, do you?" She looked at him questioningly, receiving a quick 'not at all' in response, she returned her attention to Blair,"I want to know all about it."

"Well, I was with the same most guy of my life, so I don't have much to compare it to," the brunette admitted.

"What was he like?" the woman asked, a dreamy expression in her eyes, truth be told she was a hopeless romantic.

"He was kind, thoughtful, very sweet, treated me well," Blair replied, feeling slightly awkward talking about her ex in front of Chuck.

"Sounds boring," he muttered under his breath; well aware that she was within hearing range.

"What did he look like?" she questioned further, not aware of her step-son's glowering.

"He was tall, sandy brown hair, blue eyes, good build, with an English accent." The brunette replied, feeling her confidence build as the conversation wore on.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you two break up?"

"We grew apart," Blair lied, a small fake smile gracing her mouth. Chuck new she was lying, he himself was curious as to why they were no longer together. It couldn't have been just because she moved, there was something else there, she was hiding something.

The table grew silent as the waiter returned with their first course, idle chit chat surrounded the table as he watched the girl beside him shuffle the salad around on her plate, he noticed the way her body relaxed in relief as the attention was taken off of her. When the main course was served, his step-mother seemed to realized that she had forgot a semi important detail during her earlier conversation.

"You never did tell us his name Blair," Lily pointed out, looking at the girl in front of her, as if expecting an answer.

"I didn't?" she asked, knowing full well that she had avoided his name on purpose.

"You didn't" Chuck clarified, wanting to know the answer himself, it would be much easier to look into that way. Her papers just said she had been in a long term relationship, it never mentioned a full name.

"I thought I did," she shrugged, seemingly unaffected, "Marcus Beaton."

"The lord?" Lily pressed, obviously impressed with her daughters friend.

"Yes, ma'am," she answered, avoiding every-ones eyes as they stared at her in surprise.

Chuck stared at her curiously, why would she not want them to know she dated a Lord? If he were her, he would brag about it, yet she seemed to want to keep it under wraps.

Accepting her answer and realizing that they shouldn't push the subject anymore, the table went back to alternating between bits of food and chatting about their life's. He noticed that she had been ignoring him since he sat down, he wondered why that was. She couldn't still be angry with him, did she know? Did they tell her and now she didn't know how to act around him? He felt another wave of rage surge through his body, his knuckles turning white as the grip on his fork tightened. Did she see him as a monster? Or a charity?

His internal musing were cut short as desert arrived and Rufus stood from the table, glass in hand.

"We have an announcement to make," Rufus declared, grabbing the tables attention.

"You're getting a divorce?" Serena asked hopefully.

"We're going to have a baby," he continued, ignoring his step-daughters outburst.

A pregnant silence followed, everyone too stunned by the undesired news to comment on the unfortunate turn of events.

"Fucking Fantastic! Now if you'll excuse me, I think I just lost my appetite." Chuck scowled, breaking the table out of its shocked state. He pushed his plate away from him, stood up, and stocked out of the restaurant without so much as a glance back. So much for not causing a scene he thought bitterly.

Blair stood up, intent on speaking with him about the recent changes.

"Stay. I'll go," Serena offered, setting a hand on the brunette's shoulder to stop her from following after her step-brother.

"Charles sometimes doesn't know how to handle situations. He tends to lash out when he doesn't know what to think. It's usually best to just give him his space. He always comes back, when he's ready." Lily advised, offering a small sad smile towards the brunette as she sat back down.

"Chuck," Serena called hesitantly as she approached her step brother outside, where he was waiting for his limo to pull around.

"Why? Why couldn't you just leave it?" He questioned angrily, not turning to look at her, in fear that he might actually throttle her.

"She needs to know you."

"No, she doesn't. You had no right," he growled, shooting her a menacing glare. What the hell was taking his driver so long? He just needed to escape, he didn't want to deal with her at the moment.

"I am your sister Chuck. I was acting in your best interest," she stated sympathetically.

"That's shit Serena and you know it. You don't get to decide what's best for me. Not once have you ever treated me the way you treat Eric. Why start now?" The brunette challenged, Serena had never seen her brother look so angry before. It frightened her a bit.

"I care about you. I just want to see you happy," she admitted, her eyes full of sorrow and remorse.

"You have a great way of showing it." He bit out scathingly, relief flooding him as he spotted his limo out the corner of his eye. He felt anxious. It was so close. He couldn't even explain what he was feeling, it was an entire sleuth of different emotions taking over. He just need to leave, get away before he said or did something that he would regret later.

"Blair would have found out!"Serena defended righteously.

"Why is it so hard for you understand? I liked having Blair around because she was the only person in my life that didn't treat me like a fucking child. She never pitied me, never acted as if I would break at any given moment, didn't smother me and she wasn't fake. That's what you do, hell, that's what everyone does. I hear what they say. 'Poor Chuck Bass, all the money in the world, no love in his life, no one to share it with.' You ruined it. I finally found something real, even if it was just in friendship! Something that wasn't given to me, I earned her as a friend. Just me, not my money, not my name, she liked me for me and you took that away. I hope you're happy."

"Chuck," she stated desperately, trying to get him to understand where she was coming from.

"Just do me a favor, stay out of my life."

"You don't mean that," the blond reasoned, the hurt apparent in her voice.

"Oh I do. I'll be by the penthouse today to get some of my stuff. I'll be staying some where else for a while." Chuck promised, ignoring the fact that he was hurting her feelings. Good, she deserved it.

"What's going on?" Nate asked, walking up behind them.

"Blair went home. It was really awkward after you guys left. You know, having Blair and Jenny sit at the same table," he continued nervously. He knew it was never a good idea to get involved in a Serena/Chuck show down.

"I was just leaving." Chuck announced, opening the door and stepping into the street between the car and the curb.

"Chuck," Serena repeated.

"Come on man, don't be like that." Nate rationalized, trying to be the good guy he was.

"No Nate, I'm not naive enough to believe you had nothing to do with this little set up. Keep your meddlesome girlfriend away from me and out of my life. My affairs no longer concern her," he glared toward the duo, before sliding into the car, slamming the door shut and ordering Arthur to drive him home.

* * *

Chuck sat in a daze, drinking his usual scotch on the rock at the hotel bar. He tuned out the noise, ignoring the people surrounding him. He was in no mood to entertain company. Preferring to be left with his own thoughts, he turned away every young, attractive, money-grubbing woman that approached him. Instead, he reflected on the fading pain of his past, his life, memories that were long ago abandoned and Disappointments' that he would rather forget.

"Can I get you another scotch sir?" The bartender asked attentively while wiping the bar down with a damp rag.

Receiving a nod from the man in front of him, he threw the vile cloth into the sink before washing his hands.

"Rough day huh? I know the feeling." The man pressed, trying to lighten the guys mood as he grabbed a new bottle of his finest scotch to pour yet another drink.

"Pour the damn drink. As insightful as I'm sure this conversation would prove to be, I don't pay you for your stimulating small talk." Chuck snapped, feeling pressure build in his temple at hearing the mans insufferable voice.

He drained the remaining alcohol in his glass before slamming it against the counter top with a loud clink. Pulling his wallet from his pocket, he grabbed a few bills at random and threw it against the marble in front of him. He scowled in displeasure as he stocked away from the bar and up to his bedroom. Once he was reached the comfortable silence of his old suite, he sighed, relief flooding through his body._ Solitude._ Quiet, peaceful, solitude. Walking up to his own wet bar, he grabbed a bottle of scotch. Forgoing the glass all together, in favor of drinking the contents straight from the bottle before pulling a pre-rolled joint from his bedside table. Plopping down on his divan ungracefully, he brought the joint to his lips and used his free hand to search his pocket for his Zippo. Finding it, he light his week cigarette and inhaled the smooth rich taste. He held his breath until he felt as if his lungs would explode, before releasing it. Blowing the smoke out into the pristine room, he took a nice long swig out of his bottle. Relaxed. He was feeling much better than he had earlier. Nothing could bother him while he was in his private room. He closed his eyes and let his head fall to rest against the back of the couch. For the first time in a while, he felt content.

Hearing an annoying buzzing sound, he eyes snapped back open. Damn it! He forgot to shut off his phone. Pulling the blackberry out of his pocket he frowned at the device as it read '1 new message'. Figuring it was from Serena or Nate, he decided to ignore it. He was about to turn it off, when the thought crossed his mind that It could be from Blair. Against his better judgement, he opened the message. Glaring at the screen as he read the context of the update.

** You know I'm not one to let things lie. I, like everyone else here in the USE, enjoy a good secret or scandal, whichever comes first. This however, has the possibility of being both written all over it. B,C,N, & ... J? Spotted eating dinner at a secluded hot spot. 1. King C didn't tell his family that he was dating Blair. Why not C? Are you embarrassed of her? Or did it just slip your mind? 2. He forgot to mention to Queen B that he was in fact, adopted. Do you not want her to know what you really are C? I don't know whats worse, B or C. Seems like they love keeping secrets. Turns out B's got a few secrets of her own. Before Queen B got her hands on King C, she had Lord M. Lord Marcus Beaton that is. A true white night. Rumor has it that B and M dated from kindergarten up until recently. Sore spot B? From coloring books to almost tiaras. Care to enlighten us why the sudden change. C is no M. Don't worry about it B, you don't have to tell me. You know I'll find out on my own. As for the two of you, I'm curious as to why your relationship seems to have been built on lies. What does this mean for our king and queen in the future? Will there be a future with them? I get the distinct feeling that they are on the outs right now. Be careful B, C's not known for waiting before jumping into bed with his next victims, I mean conquests. I wouldn't be surprised if the rebounds are already lining up at his door. It;s okay B, I'm be here for you. If their is anything I love more than gossip, its a puzzle. **

** You know you love me.**

**xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**

**(Enclosed: a picture taken 11 months ago, B and M looking madly in love at last years Christmas Charity even in England.)**

* * *

On the other side of town, Blair re-read the gossip blast and sighed, before she snapped her phone shut and laid it beside the bathroom sink. Fresh out of the shower, she tried to clear her mind as she when through the motions of her nightly rituals. Keeping her eyes down cast down the entire time. She towed off the excess water beads before wrapping her soaking tresses up with the terry cloth material. When she was certain that she was dry and that her clothing were not at risk of being ruined, she slid on a comfortable set of undergarments. Thoroughly cleansing her already flawless skin, she brushed and whitened her perfectly straight teeth, and lathered her skin in her favorite vanilla scented lotion. After she was satisfied with the finished product if her body, she dropped a dime size portion of Bio-silk serum into her palm and ran her fingers through her hair, polishing the chocolate, wet, curls. Gathering the damp tresses up, away from her face, she twisted the mass into a bun. She grabbed her slip off of the counter and pulled the lavish silk on over her head, causing a few curls to fall astray. Ignoring the impulse to scrutinize her appearance in the mirror she retired to her bedroom, flipping the light off on her way out.

"Dorota!" Blair called to her maid. As she did every night, as she had since she was a toddler.

A few minutes later the polish woman came through the door, glass of water and vitamin tablets in hand.

Taking the items out of her hand, she popped the pills into her mouth, taking a sip to help wash it down, before setting the glass on her night stand.

"Is my mother home yet?" she inquired politely.

"Your momma left message. Just one moment, I go get it," The maid rushed hurriedly, running out of the room to retrieve the memo.

Blair suddenly felt worse than she had before, she had a sinking feeling that her mother would not be coming home for her birthday.

Seconds later the maid came back, box and letter in hand.

"I not suppose to give this to you till tomorrow, but I give it to you now," she explained.

Setting the perfectly wrapped green and silver gift on her bed, she took the envelope, her hands shaking of their own accord. Breaking the seal, she dismissed Dorota for the evening. When she was sure the maid was out of sight, she pulled out the piece of paper and begin to read.

_**"Blair Dear,**_

_**I can not express to you how sorry I am that I will not be in states in time to make it for your big day. I have, however, been able to secure your present. Your present will receive your gift on Sunday. I have scheduled a car to pick you up at one. Wear the dress and have Dorota fix your hair for you. Make sure to get plenty of sleep before hand. You know those bags under your eyes look dreadful when you haven't had enough rest. Drink plenty of water dear and steer clear of high calorie treats. No birthday cake.**_

_**Your Mother,**_

_**Eleanor Waldorf**_

Holding back the wave of disappointment that surged through her body, she crumbled up the letter and threw it in a near by waste basket. Tears of resentment threatened to spill from her chestnut orbs and splatter across her porcelain cheeks, but she refused to give her mother the satisfaction of making her cry. Alone. In the end, she was always going to be second to her mothers work, always second to her fathers lover. She was _always_ going to be alone. Set on the back burner, left to stew until it was convenient for them. That was fine, she didn't need them. She didn't need anyone. If you let your happiness become dependent on someone else, you just end up hurt and disappointed. She had learned that lesson the hard way, first her mother, then her father, and then again with Marcus. As much as she hated to amuse such thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how Chuck felt, being an orphan. Deciding not to think about him or anything else for the remainder of the night she pushed all thoughts of boys and family out of her mind. Solely focusing on the most important thing at hand. Her party.

Grabbing a bottle of pills from her nightstand, she counted out fifteen of the laxatives' into her palm. Popping the handful at once, she held her nose to avoid the bitter taste of medicine. She washed it down with the full glass of water before crawling into her thread counted sheets. Tomorrow she would wake up, hold her head high, and throw the most anticipated party of the year. It would be the talk of the city for ages. She would not disappoint. She was Blair Waldorf and Waldorf's were legendary.

Blair was tired of trying to fight fate. She was destined to be unwanted, unloved. For her to end up alone that… well, that was inevitable.

* * *

**A/N:** Happy One Year Anniversary of this story! I updated in honor of its birthday! Thank you :) !

You all made me smile, even my anonymous readers. Thank you for all of the loyal support. Special thanks to _BassKingdom & HnMskinnys,_ how I missed you so much!

"Fuitle"- Say Anything


	12. Good girls go bad

His first conscious thought upon waking that morning was that it was hot, much too hot for comfort. His body was on fire. He was sure the heat would burn holes through his sweat soaked designer pajamas. He kicked his feet in frustration and twisted his upper body around in a desperate attempt to untangle his limbs from the death trap that had become of his bed linens. In his irritated haste to free himself from his confines, he threw all his weight to the left, causing his heavy body to fall ungracefully off of the soft, overheated bed and onto the cold wood floor. His head slamming so hard against the surface that the impact made it bounce back off the ground, before smacking down again. The loud bang echoed off of his walls and through his suite.

The brunette groaned in pain, pushing himself into a seating position. Immediately, he became acutely aware of a few other pressing matters that needed attending. He decided it would be best to take inventory of his body to make sure he wasn't in any real threat of danger, starting with his head. The throbbing in his brain was killing him. Logically he knew that it was just a result of hitting it so hard, mixed with what he assumed to be severe dehydration. He could have swore that his skull was cracked very much in two along the back side, but he ran his hand through his hair just to be completely sure he didn't give himself a concussion. His body ached, as if each muscle fiber had been stretched to capacity, before bouncing back like elastic. His skin was clammy and he was drenched in a cold sweat, his dark silk sleep linens were sticking to his flushed body. He had to pee, badly. The urge to use the restroom was probably what had awoken him in the first place. The last, but most annoying problem of them all was the damn comforter. The very despised piece of fabric had decided to join him on his little adventure and his legs were _still _very much detained by it. Also the offending object remained unaffected by his glare of hatred towards it. Seemingly satisfied with his once over, the tan skinned boy had come to the conclusion that he was very much hung over. He removed the blankets with his hands and threw them as far away from him as possible. Standing as slowly and steadily as he could he began to make his was to the restroom to relieve himself, gently peeling off his bed clothing along the way. _Seriously,_ the room was spinning and his vision was blurred. _How did he not notice the__headache__first?_

After emptying his bladder and a quick (much needed) shower, he walked back into his room, stark naked and feeling somewhat refreshed. He gratefully noticed the fresh bed sheets, his old ones nowhere to be found, along with the pain reliever and cold glass of water on his nightstand. He popped the lifesaving medicine into his mouth and gulped the cool substance greedily, letting it sooth his parched throat. Setting the empty glass back down, he frowned as his eyes landed on the picture of his mother and father. Taking a mental note that Arthur had been there sometime last night to bring him his things. He opened the top drawer to his dresser to grab a clean pair of boxers. He let out a small sigh of relieve when he spotted the small gift wrapped box nestled beneath his underwear. A pastel yellow box with detailed little pink deigns and a pink bow, Blair's Birthday present.

_Blair._

Today was her party, what on earth was he going to tell her? She probably hated him already or worse… pitied him. Serena had probably told her his whole damn live story. He decided that it was best not to think about his oh-so-beloved sister at the moment with his anger and his massive headache. It was quiet possibly that his head may explode. He needed a nap, fuck everything else. When he woke up he would figure out what to say to his girlfriend, faux-girlfriend? He wasn't sure. Climbing back into the now comfortable bed, he closed his eyes. He would sleep now, everything else could wait.

* * *

The smell of heavily rich food waded into her bedroom and reached her nostrils. In her half conscious state she took a deep breath of the mouth watering delicious aroma as she stirred slightly under her sheets.

"Miss Blair, It time to wake up. It is day of party, must not waste time sleeping." Dorota chatted excitedly, rushing around the room, opening the curtains to let the sunrise filter through the room. Pink and yellow hues fell delicately across the bed, illuminating the small figure underneath the heavy down comforter.

The curly dark haired girl groaned in frustration at the reminder. She was a year older today. She didn't feel like it was her birthday, She wasn't even the least bit happy. The only upside to it was that it was a new year. Everything she hated about her life had happened while she was sixteen, Marcus, her father, her mother, coming to America. Seventeen was full of bad reminders of the past, the way things use to be. Eighteen was a whole new age. She could start over; try to make this year stand out. She would make new memories with Serena, Nate, and Chuck. When she got older she wanted to look back and associate eighteen as a turning point in her life. This might be the year she met the man of her dreams and fell madly in love, she didn't know. She mentally snorted at herself for the last thought. _Love_. How ridiculous. What she did know is that she could do all of her for-mentioned plans, minus love of course, later. It was much too early for her to be awake.

"One more hour Dorota, please," Blair begged.

"No time Miss Blair. I wait until last moment possible, time to wake up. I bring you breakfast in bed; you eat up and then shower. We have big day planned," the maid informed her firmly.

"Ugh, fine," the brunette huffed, sliding her hand up to removed her sleeping mask. Thankfully it wasn't mid-day and that the sun had just reached mid-rise, making the transition a lot less painful to her eyes.

"Good, you eat now." Dorota demanded, pointing to the tray of varied food on a stand next to her bed. Without waiting for conformation the polish lady swept of the room, satisfied that the hardest part of the day was complete.

Blair sat eyeing the tray skeptically; she debated on whether or not to eat such flatting food. Her mother's words echoed off the paper and into her mind "_**steer clear of high calorie treats. No birthday**_**cake.**" Well, _her mother wasn't here was she?_ The brunette thought bitterly, her stomach growling loudly at the prospect of food. It was her birthday and she could whatever the hell she wanted. Finally giving in to her own want, she reached across the bed and pulled the tray to set on her lap. Picking up her fork she dug into her small stack of two pancakes with butter and no syrup.

After they were gone and the plate was clean, she didn't know what she wanted, so she ate a little bit of everything on the tray. She had a small bowl of fruit, a plate of bacon, and a small spinach and cheddar omelet with bacon, onions, and turkey. When she was full, she noticed she had eaten all of her pancakes and half of everything else. Thankfully it wasn't an entirely unhealthy meal. Happy with the amount of food she consumed and the fact that she didn't feel guilty about it, she placed the tray back onto stand and slid out of large bed. She picked out her undergarments for the day and headed into her bathroom to take a long hot shower. She was not about to let anything ruin her day.

An hour and a half later, Blair stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer of her building. Greeting the strangers that passed by her happily, she smiled at the doorman as she stepped out into the crisp New York air. Noting the beautiful weather, she decided to walk the short distance to Starbucks and catch a cab to Serena's from there. She took off in the direction of the closest coffee shop, ready to start her day. There were a lot of things to do, so she had decided a casual outfit would be more appropriate. She had chosen to wear a soft red, long sleeve button down with cream cuffs, cream colored skinny jeans, and red flats. Her prefect pristine curls had been flat ironed out, making her hair lengthen considerably and fall straight and shinny down her back. She had parted her sleek hair down the side and she had half of the side with less hair pinned to back with a red bow. The brunette adjusted her signature cream sunglasses while mentally making a note to thank Dorota for the fact that her maid had reminded her to grab her light red and cream coat on her way out, although the weather was perfect, it was slightly breezy.

The small girl inhaled the fresh air and enjoyed the scenery as she tried to take the moment to clear her thoughts. Unfortunately in her attempt to do so, her mind settled on her very irritating, very sexy, faux boyfriend. She hadn't heard from Chuck at all since he stormed out from dinner the night before. She wanted to give him some time and space. She assumed that hadn't wanted her to know that he was adopted. As for why, she had no idea, but everyone had things that were best not spoken about and she respected that. What she did understand is that he thought this would make her treat him differently. So what? He was adopted, like she would judge him for something that he couldn't even control. She wondered vaguely if his concerns about her judgments were based off the other people around him, the thought saddened her.

Spotting the Starbucks a few shops in front of her, the brunette resolved that she would ask Serena about it later. Filling her thoughts away as she walked through door, she was once again grateful for the early hour in which she woke. The coffee shop was relativity empty due to the amount of time it took her to get ready. Passing a few people seated with their faces buried in their laptops and their espresso's to their noses, she made her way to the front counter.

"Good morning," the natural blond greeted pleasantly from behind the counter.

"It's still early, Stacey" Blair replied, smiling so the girl could tell she was joking.

The girl looked down at the name tag pinned to her apron and laughed. "Isn't that the truth," she agreed, glad that at least one of her customers were in fairly good mood. "What can I get for you today?"

"I will have a Venti iced chai with soy milk, and a Grande skinny vanilla soy bean latte, please." The brunette ordered politely, handing the girl her master card.

"Coming right up! What names would you like on them?" Stacey asked, sliding the card before handing it back to her with her receipt.

Taking a moment to decide what names she wanted, she smiled like a Cheshire cat when the thought to go party themed entered her brain.

The blonde behind the counter had pulled out the two cups and was writing the order for each one down the side while she waited.

"The chai will be the Queen of Hearts and the skinny will be Alice," she answered gleefully. Oh this was going to be a fun day.

"Alice and wonderland it is." The barista smiled, deeply amused by the girl in front of her.

"Its my birthday today," Blair explained, "My party is Alice and wonderland, and the skinny latte is for my best friend who will be dressed as Alice tonight."

"That sounds pretty awesome."Stacey admitted after a few moments, "Happy Birthday! I hope you have the best day, even if it is still early."

The girl laughed as she handed Blair her drinks. The cups were too cute Blair thought. Her drink just said "The Queen" with little red hearts all over it. Serena's said "Alice" with what looked to be a fake little tag that said "Drink me."

Thanking the woman, Blair headed back outside to hail a cab. After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only two minutes, she finally flagged one of the yellow cars down. She slid into the back seat as smoothly as possible, trying not to spill her morning caffeine as she recited Serena's address to the man driving.

She pulled in front of her best friend's house a few minutes later. Sitting her drink between her legs, she reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. Paying the man, she got out of the car and entered the building. Making her way to the elevators in the lobby she tried to decide the best way to bring Chuck's name into the conversation. The brunette considered this all the way up to her friend's penthouse. She didn't want to be noisy since obviously last night would have put a rift between the two siblings, so she couldn't very bring his name up herself. No she would have to wait until Serena said something him, ugh, she hated waiting.

Walking into the foyer, she was thankful that everyone seemed to still be sleeping. She may want to talk about Chuck, but that didn't mean she wanted _to_ talk to him. Talk about an awkward confrontation. The small girl made her way as quickly and quietly as she could toward the blonde female's room, with her two beverages.

Pushing the heavy door open as noiseless as possible, she rolled her eyes as they fell onto the heap lying sideways on the bed. She sat the coffee's down on the stand next to her bed.

"Serena," she whispered softly trying to alert her friend to her presence without startling her. When she got no sign of life, she put her hand on the blondes shoulder. "Serena," she spoke loudly, giving the girl arm a rough push.

"Hmm?" Serena answered sleepily.

"Time to get up," Blair stated firmly._Sheesh, she thought to herself. Is this what Dorota Felt like every day?_

"It's too early B." The blonde complained and covered her face with her arm.

_Now she definitely knew this was how Dorota felt_, she giggled to herself at the irony.

"Wake up S! I come baring gifts. I brought your favorite," the brunette persuaded as she set herself down on the end of the bed and removed her coat.

"You brought me chocolate and wine? I hate to break it to you B, but birthday or no birthday it is much too early in the morning for a glass of red wine." Serena joked as she opened her eyes.

"You're kidding right?" Blair chastised playfully, while eyeing her friends poor attempt of get up.

Slowly the blonde pulled herself into a sitting position, catching sight of the latte out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh yummy!" She praised gratefully, as she reached out to retrieve the sugary goodness from the night table. She hummed in appreciation as she took a large gulp of the warm liquid, before stating very seriously, "That is definitely my favorite."

"Look at how cute this cup is!" Serena exclaimed, eyeing the drink me tag on the side. Turning to thank her best friend, the blondes words died in her throat. Blair looked amazing, with her light make up and straight hair. Her first thought was that her brother was going to have a heart attack when he saw her.

"What?" the brunette wondered aloud, misunderstanding the look she was receiving. "Is there something wrong?"

"Your hair…. it's straight," the blonde informed her.

"Is it too much? Does it look weird?" Blair questioned, suddenly feeling very self conscious of the fact that she had decided to flat iron her hair.

"No B, you look gorgeous. It was just a shock; I've never seen you with straight hair. It makes you look different, not in a good or bad way. I love your curls. I like the straight hair too," Serena comforted honestly.

The brunette let out a breath she had been holding in relieve. "I just wanted to do something different today," she confided.

"I was just thinking… Chuck is going to have a heart attack when he sees you. He will probably go into a jealous fit of rage trying to keep the boys away," her friend giggled.

_Chuck._The brunette's entire body froze at the mention of her supposed boyfriend. This is what she had been waiting for; she sure didn't have to wait long. Taking a deep breath she asked the one question she had been dying top know. "How is Chuck?"

"I wouldn't know." The blonde responded, a frown settling across her nude lips. "We got into a fight last night and he moved out, I haven't seen him since."

"Wait, he moved out? Where would he go?" Blair inquired, feeling somewhat panicky. She wasn't quite sure why the news made her freak out. Realistically… he was a billionaire and could go where ever he wanted, but the thought of him alone somewhere was still unsettling to her.

"I assume he moved back into his suite here at the Palace. He lived there before our parents got married. After that we all moved in here, but he kept his suite because his father told him that he didn't approve of him bring any of his sluts home. For the last year he's only used it to get laid, that way females never knew where he lived. Well, use to anyway, all of that ended when you came to town." Serena explained, hoping her friend didn't think worse of her brother than she did before. After all it was Blair's birthday and she did warn Chuck.

"Oh," the brunette responded, feeling silly for worrying about him in the first place._Maybe he wasn't alone_, the voice in her head commented snidely.

She tried to ignore the sinking feeling of dread that was building in her stomach. Curious about a few of the things her friend mentioned, she pushed her feelings aside.

"You said Chuck's father didn't approve?"

"Chuck and Bart, his father, they had different views on everything. They had a very strained relationship." Serena stated, deciding honesty was best.

Blair was about to open her mouth to ask another question when Serena cut her off.

"Let me explain, my mother married Bart Bass a few years ago. He passed away in a car accident last December. As for his mother, I can only assume, he's never once talked about her. My mother adopted him while she was married to his father, so it's not like he's spent his life in an orphanage." The blonde revealed, trying her help her friend better understand her boyfriend.

"Thank you Serena… for telling me. You should probably go freshen up so we're not late to Victrola," Blair informed her best friend, offering her a halfhearted smile.

"Your right, we have a lot of junk to do today." Serena groaned in protest as she threw her legs over the side of the bed. Blair giggled at her blonde friend as she watched her retreat into the bathroom.

His parents, the beautiful couple in the picture were dead. Her heart broke for him. This was probably why he didn't want her to know. He didn't want her to treat him differently because they were dead, not because he was adopted. _Pity_. That was how people must look at him. She understood right then and there. Pity was something she could not stand to see in people's eyes with regards to herself. This would not change anything. He was still her sleazy, gorgeous, asshole of a friend- boss- boyfriend. Next time she saw she would make sure he damn well knew it as well. Realizing that it probably wasn't the best time to try to get a reaction from her boyfriend, Blair picked up her phone and sent a text to Chris telling him that she was sorry and that she didn't think it was a good idea that they attended the party together.

* * *

Chuck awoke fully hours later feeling well rested and relatively new. He stretched out across his sheets, relieve flooding his body as he realized his migraine from that morning was now completely resolved. His head itself was still a little sore, but it would probably take a few days to disappear entirely. Grabbing his phone off of his night stand, he disconnected the charger and scrolled through his awaited messages. He had six missed calls from Serena, Two from Nate, and three that were work related. Not a single call from Blair. Deleting them, he quickly clicked on his text messages. Realizing there was nothing from her there either, the brunette decided to make the first move. He typed a quick text under her name; his finger hovered over the send button before he finally just pressed it. If she didn't hate him yet, she would after today. Figuring he could use all the help he could get, he sent a text to his best friend Nate as well, asking him to come by as soon as possible.

He pushed all negative thoughts from his mind, thinking it best not to dwell on what might happen, he laid his phone down. Dragging himself out of bed, he went to get ready for the day ahead. Deciding to forgo the shower since he had taken one that morning and thankfully didn't sweat this time. He dressed himself in a pair of black slacks, a cream button down, red slip on vans and his signature red scarf. Sitting down at the bar in his room he went to fix himself a scotch when his stomach growled. Glancing at the clock on his wall he noticed it was a little too early for the burning liquid, so he picked up his phone and ordered room service instead. While waiting for his food and for Nathaniel to respond, he walked to his dresser and removed the small gift from the top drawer. Present in hand he headed back to the bar and took a seat on his stool, sitting the little yellow box in front of him. He was starting to have doubts on whether or not to give it to her, he need someone to talk to. Where the hell was Nate?!

* * *

"No I specifically said red and black roses, no white. I don't care if you have to hand paint the damn things, fix it!" Blair yelled through the phone, cursing under her breath.

"Wow B, way to get into character." Serena encouraged, sarcastically while taking a seat close by.

It had been chaos since they arrived. The tables were wrong, the flowers were wrong, pretty much everything was wrong except for the cookies and cakes. After hours of running around making sure everything was perfect Serena was tired. She loved her friend dearly, but she needed a break. The room had been completely transformed. Red and black table clothes hung over the circle tables that littered the sides of the room, on every black table there was suppose to be a bouquet of red roses, on every red table there was suppose to be a bouquet of black roses both in white and black checkered vases, which was were Blair's current melt down laid. They had brought red and white flowers. She was having none of it. On the edge of the bar sat little bowls of assorted candies that said 'Eat me' on them and the entire set of bar glasses said 'Drink me' on them. The real eye catcher was the stage. It had been set up to look like the mad hatters' tea party, long table and all. It was the table at which Blair and the mean girls would sit, above everyone else. The table cloth was an interesting pattern of both red and black, the colors kind of swirled around each other. On the table sat an arrangement of 'Eat me' cookies, and various place mats. The only thing missing was the cake.

"Okay. Now that were finally done here, I'm starving! I was thinking Italian for lunch? How does that sound" Blair offered, interrupting thoughts.

"Italian sounds amazing B, Ill text Nate to meet us there." The blonde assured her, smiling relief as she pulled out her phone. Thank god, that was over.

The two girls left the club arm in arm as they headed to a little Italian restaurant on Broadway.

The best friends chatted idly at an outside table in the middle of a vast garden about their hair and make up for the evening, while waiting to order. Twenty minutes later, they were discussing the music playlist that Blair had chosen when the blonde boy they had been waiting for slid into the seat next to his girlfriend and across from Blair.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something." Nate joked, smiling at the look of sheer happiness on his girlfriends face.

"Not at all, thank goodness you're finally here. Did you decide to walk all ten blocks then?" the brunette chided, a smile gracing her face as well.

"Contrary to belief taxis in New York can only go as fast traffic in New York." The blonde boy laughed at how much his dark headed friends sounded alike. "I like the hair B. It looks healthy," he complemented, noticing the lack of curl covering her face.

"For a straight man in New York, you have a lot of gay moments," Blair stated seriously.

Nate sputtered indignantly, causing both females to fall into a fit of giggles.

"It's true," Serena announced. "He always tries to help me pick out dresses."

"I am not gay," he huffed. "See if I try to help now."

They paused their playful bitching enough to order lunch, having had plenty of time to go over the menu. Blair had decided on a simple spinach and artichoke dip, melted with Romano, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese and served with toasted pita bread triangles. Nate and Serena had opted to share a salad and some stuffed Manicotti.

Blair was laughing at some poorly constructed joke that Nate had heard earlier and was attempting to retell, when she felt her phone go off in her purse. Assuming it was someone trying to get a last minute invite or one the people from her party planning team, she rolled her eyes as she pulled it out and check to see who it was.

She felt her heart speed up when she realized it was from none of the above, it was Chuck. Her slim finger danced across the screen of her, hesitating while she mentally prepared herself for what he had to say. Deciding that she was being ridiculous and that it was only a text message, she pressed the open message button.

**B, we need to talk - C**

_Really? That was it? No happy Birthday or I'm sorry I freaked out last night? Oh they were going to talk alright; _she fumed while hastily sending her reply.

"Something wrong B? Who was the text from? Is it the party?" Serena asked worriedly.

"Nothing wrong except the person hosting it." Blair complained, shoving her phone back into her bag with more force than needed.

"Chuck? What did he say?" She questioned, concern lacing her words.

"Just that we needed to talk, like I wasn't already aware of that," the brunette clarified bitterly.

"That's good right? Maybe he wants to open up to you," the blonde offered hopefully.

"Or maybe he wants to break up with me for being too pushy," Blair retaliated. She didn't mean it to say it, but as the words left her mouth it made sense. He was going to dump her, on her birthday of all days. She felt a very real twinge of fear, as her heart loge itself into her throat at the prospect of losing her very fake boyfriend.

* * *

**Spotted: N, S, & B, having a celebratory birthday lunch for our Queen at Barolo's on W. Broadway. Where was our king you ask? He was a no show. Don't look so sad B, it's your party. You can cry if you want too. King C seems to have better things to do than waste time with our Queen on her birthday. Hopefully he will at least make an appearance at B's party. He is hosting it after all. Maybe **_**he **_**got a new toy for **_**her **_**birthday. Someone find out what's going on between these two, curiosity killed the cat & your sealed lips are killing me.**

**You know you love me.**

**xoxo**

**Gossip Girl**

**Enclosed: a picture of the three sharing lunch, why the long face B?**

* * *

Chuck frowned as he clicked on the picture. _She was so beautiful_. He didn't hate the straight hair. It was nice as a change, but he loved her curls. In the picture the object plaguing his every thought had her arms crossed as she stared off into the distance, a look a complete troubled sadness marring her delicate features. He wanted to know who made her upset. No one should ever feel sad on their birthday. Well nobody but him of course. Was it him? Her reply was a quick, **I know- B**. Did he do something to make her angry? He wanted her happy. That's why he got her the present, to make her happy, to make her his. He never wanted to see the sad girl in the picture again. God, Chuck Bass was turning into a sap.

A knock on the front door broke through the internal battle that was currently residing in his mind.

"Come in," Chuck yelled not even bothering to answer it, he knew it was Nathaniel. His best friend had sent a text not too long ago confirming that he was on the way.

"That's one way to greet a guest," the blonde smiled, shutting the door behind him.

"You're hardly a guest." The brunette snorted ungracefully, motioning for his friend to join him on the couch.

"True," his friend confessed, dropping himself next to the brunette. "You want to talk about what happened last night?"

"There's nothing to talk about. Serena sabotaged my relationship and Lily's going to have a baby, the damage is done." The dark headed boy addressed grumpily.

Knowing it was best to drop it the Nate decided not to press his friend.

"So what's up man?"

"It's Blair," Chuck admitted. "I don't know what to do. I know I have to explain things to her, but I just don't know how."

"Sometimes bro, you just have to go with it. When the time comes you'll know what to say," Nate promised.

"What sappy love movie did you pull that from?" Chuck questioned, before changing his mind. "You know what? Forget I asked."

The sound of his blonde friends' laughter filling the room did nothing to help his frayed nerves.

"Just try it man. I'm serious, it will work. Just be honest with her. If she asks a personal question that you're not ready to answer just tell her that. She will understand," the blonde commented helpfully.

"I guess you're right." Chuck agreed, knowing that was the best he was going to get out of his love sick friend at the moment. He decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Do you know why Blair looked upset at lunch today? Did something happen?"

"We were laughing having a good time, until she got your cryptic text. Then she started to act all weird. I'm not sure. I wasn't paying attention, because I got your text right after that. I think she said something about you wanting to break things off?" The blonde explained, trying to recall the conversation from lunch.

"She thinks I'm going to break up with her? On her birthday? What does that say about my character?" The brunette mused to himself.

"You're not breaking up with her are you?" Nate returned feel extremely uncomfortable at the thought of being brought into the middle of a breakup between friends.

"No! I don't even know why she would think something like that," Chuck muttered tiredly. Now he really had to fix things. Their relationship, if you could even call it that, was already threading delicate waters.

"You really like her don't you," his friend teased.

"Don't start with me today Nathaniel," he warned. He could sense his friend staring at him with that stupid knowing look. He really wished he could smack it off his face.

"You are going to her party right?" the blonde questioned, spotting the small gift box on the bar. He smiled to himself choosing to ignore the urge to gloat that Chuck was smitten and in denial.

"I wasn't going to. In fact she specifically asked me not to, but now it looks as if I don't have a choice." Chuck sighed in defeat.

* * *

Jenny sat in front of the mirror at her apartment in Brooklyn, debating on whether or not she should go to the party. She had already taken a shower and laid the outfit out on the bed. She wanted go, she knew that it was going to be the biggest party of the year and she _had_ been invited. The only thing stopping her was her pride. If she went to the party, was she admitting defeat? What would people think? That she was weak little Jenny Humphrey or that she had an ulterior motive? She definitely had her own agenda when it came to Blair Waldorf. Blair wasn't stupid, she had to know that Jenny would like nothing more to destroy her and take back what was rightfully hers. What game was she playing at? What if it was all an elaborate scheme to get her there to humiliate her publicly? Okay, she admitted that seemed a little far-fetched No one in their right mind would make their birthday about someone else.

She decided to make a pros and cons list.

**Pros:**

1. She could get more dirt of Blair.

2. She could make her move when least expected.

3. She would be closer to Chuck.

**Cons:**

1. It could be a set up.

2. It would mean bowing down to Blair.

3. She would have to watch Chuck kiss Blair all the time.

Taking a deep breath she decided she was going to do it. She was going to Blair Waldorf's party. Turning on her straighter, so that it would heat up, she grabbed the white and baby pink dress and slid it over her head. She could do this, she could beat Blair and make Chuck rue the day he every thought to deny her.

* * *

The limo pulled to a stop outside of the lively night club. Blair was a little nervous, it was her first party in America and it was kind of a big deal. She spared a glace out the window, satisfied at the amount of people in line that were trying to get in.

Blair gave each one of the girls a once over to make sure nothing was out of place. The girls had spent the better part of the afternoon at Blair's house making sure their outfits were completely perfect. She had run around until the last minute making sure every last detail had been thrown together. The only thing really missing was her white rabbit.

Gretchen had on a very tiny pink, strapless dress, with a small fury purple tail sewed onto the back. A similar fury head band with little cat ears had been tucked neatly into her loose, wavy hair. Pink and purple stripped tights covered her legs and purple heels tied the outfit together. Her Cheshire cat looked awesome with her pink and purple smoky eyes.

Ava (her mad hatter) was wearing a small green dress, with a little white apron sewed on the front. Her long legs were covered in white thigh highs with green pumps adoring her feet. She had he hair tied back into a small side bun at the lower nape of her neck and a miniature version of the mat hatters' hat had been secured to the head band that had been slide behind her ears.

Is had on a white, mid thigh dress that was covered in red hearts, a little bit of the red petticoat poked out from the bottom of her dress. She had on white tights, paired with red pumps and a red heart attached to the side of her headband. Katie was the exact opposite, she was spades, everything that was red on Is was black on Katie.

Serena was the best in Blair's opinion. She was wearing a mini Alice and wonderland dress. The material stopped so far above her knees, that you could spot the baby blue looking garner of her thigh highs. She completed the look with black Jimmy Choos and the simple black head band that stood out in comparison to her long blond waves.

Blair was really the center of attention though, in her skin tight red dress. It was a strapless, heart shape that hugged her top like a girdle and covered in black see through lace. The skirt proofed out from her hips and fell a few inches above her knees. She had on black lacy thigh highs, which had been clipped to her under garments and a pair of red close toed manolos. Her long hair had been teased with a curling rod, creating soft waves that tumbled elegantly down her back. A gold and diamond crown was perched gracefully on the top. Her eyes were painted a light smoky black and her lips had been painted Chanel red. Chuck Bass was definitely going to have a heart attack.

Sending Chuck a quick "thank you" text for sending his limo, Blair dropped her phone back into her purse as the door opened and the girls began the exit the long car one by one. When it was just the two of them left, Serena slid from the leather seat, followed by Blair. She was the last to emerge from the dark limo. She prided herself on knowing how to make an entrance.

She smiled pleasantly at the people around her. Ignoring them as they called her name attempting to get her attention, she walked right past everyone and entered the double doors.

* * *

Chuck arrived fashionably late, two hours to be exact. Wanting to avoid the crowd, he had Arthur drop him off a block away and entered though the employee door located in the back of the club. He stood in the shadows observing his newest investment in full swing. His eyes skimmed across the room looking for the only girl to ever hold his attention for more than a day, before landing on Jenny. She was standing in the corner looking out of place, glaring off onto of the dance floor. Following her line of sight the boy fought he urge to smile as he spotted the familiar brunette female swinging her hips in the middle of the room with his sister. She had her head thrown back and was laughing while trying to sing along to Super Bass. She was breath taking in her little red dress and loose wavy hair. She looked so young and carefree. He felt the familiar stir in his stomach as spotted a guy heading in her direction. She was supposed to be his. He was going crazy he knew it, but he had never gone so long without sex. It was starting to do things to his mind. He knew all he really need was one night with his fiery vixen. He watched silently trying to control his thinly veiled rage as the unknown man came to halt in front of his girlfriend. She smiled politely as the man chatted adamantly with her, reaching out to brush his hand against her arm. _That was it. He was so dead. Nobody touched Chuck Bass's girlfriend and got away with it._

Deciding that he would break this up right away and quite possibly the boys face while he was at it, he took a step forward out his dark haven and into the light. He paused mid-step as he noticed a dark headed boy he knew all too well, cutting into his girlfriends conversation. _Carter. Fucking. Baizen._ What the hell was he doing here? Blair said she hadn't invited him, unless she lied to him. Now that he thought about it, the girl had given into his need to sleep around undetected. In fact, it had been her idea. Was it because she was sleeping with Carter? He felt extremely nauseous at the thought of Carter's hands running across Blair's naked body. Feeling his resolve snap, he decided that he had had enough. He couldn't stand by and watch anymore. Turning to his left he walked through the 'employee only' door on the side of the room and down the long hallway. Coming to a stop in front of the girls' dressing room, he quietly slipped inside unnoticed.

Setting down on a nearby white and wood chaise, he tried to figure out what his next move would be. There was no way in hell that he was handing Blair over to Carter without a fight. He had never wanted anything in his life as much as he wanted Blair. _When did everything get so messed up?_ He wondered, taking a deep gulp of the amber liquid in his hand. He could fix this. He just needed to come up with a plan first.

* * *

"Jenny! How nice of you to join us." Blair voiced loudly, a bright fake smile gracing her features as she alerted the people around her of the blonde girl's presence.

"Happy Birthday Blair," Jenny replied awkwardly unsure of what to do now that she was actually there. The idea of going to the party sounded a lot better in her mind than in reality.

"Enjoy the party. We're seated at the front table," she smirked, counting her attendance as a small victory. She would have her broken in no time.

"I love this song! Dance with me!" Serena squealed, dragging the brunette out into the middle of the floor.

Laughing at her friends antics the dark haired girl threw her head back in delight as she began to move her hips to the music. It was fun. For a moment she wasn't in the spotlight. She wasn't Blair Waldorf. She was just a girl in a night club. Letting the beat wash over her, she cleared her mind and let all over her problems melt away. It was euphoric… the feeling that surrounded her. No standards. No judging. She was free to just be herself. The short lived moment abruptly came to an end when she heard a man calling her name.

"Blair Waldorf?" The man questioned in astonishment.

"That would be me," she offered, smiling tightly at the intruder.

"Remington Filch," he returned, quite pleased with himself that he had found the guest of honor.

"Do I know you?" Blair questioned cautiously, eyeing the man in front of her. He wasn't bad looking per say, with his shaggy blonde hair and bright green orbs. There was just something off about him that she couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Well, no. Ava is my cousin," the man explained quickly. "She didn't invite me. I just had to meet you for myself to see if you were really as beautiful in person."

"Um, thank you?" the brunette answered, feeling very uncomfortable with where the conversation.

"You're welcome," he smiled brightly, undeterred. "I was wondering..."

"May I cut in," a familiar voice interrupted.

Blair let out a breath of relief at the fact that she was being saved from whatever the creepy guy was about to ask her. Until she realized that her savior was none other than Carter, the last person she wanted to see tonight. Seriously, she would rather see the devil himself.

"Carter." She grumbled, turning her attentions to the original bad boy as she ignored the other boy altogether.

"Blair," the boy greeted warmly, kissing her on the cheek. "You look ravishing."

"What are you doing here?" Blair inquired skeptically.

"I promise, dear friend that I had no idea this was your soiree." he

"I'm sure. Let me guess, you were hoping to run into my boyfriend?" Why else would he be in one of Chuck's private clubs?

"Chuck." Carter clarified," I can't seem to find him. When you see him could you tell him that my upcoming trip to Bangkok would mean nothing to me without him? I trust he still has my phone number."

"I'll relay the message," Blair confirmed doubtfully. She wasn't ignorant she knew that was obviously code for something.

"Please do," he whispered in her ear before spotting someone across the room. "I really must be going."

She stood stock still as she watched his retreating frame disappear into the crowd. _What the hell was that about?_

"Blair bear?" a deep voice asked from behind.

Blair only knew one person in the entire world that called her that, _her father_. Snapping her head around, she noticed her father standing right in front of her.

"Daddy?" she questioned, wondering if it was just her imagination or if her was really there.

"I'm here darling," he confirmed hugging the brunette tightly to his chest. "You didn't think I would miss something as important as your birthday did you?"

"I missed you so much." Blair confided, clinging on to her father for dear life. This was normality… how things use to be.

"I missed you too Blair bear," her father admitted. "So did Roman."

At the name of her father's lover Blair froze. No. No, no no no no.

"What?" She asked nervously, looking around the crowded room.

"Roman missed you too," the man repeated, not understanding her daughter's current state of panic.

"You didn't bring him here did you?" She whispered, fearing the answer, but already knowing it in her heart.

"Of course I did! Don't be silly, he just went to get us drinks." Her father eyed her bemusedly.

"How could you?" Blair cried in outrage, "How could you bring your lover to my birthday party? My friends are here!"

Not bothering to wait for a response the brunette tore her way towards the bar, desperate to get away from the scene her father was sure to create.

"Scotch," she demanded to the bartender. She watched as the young man pulled out a glass for her.

"Not a glass you idiot… just give me the damn bottle." Blair clarified, "Put it on Chuck Basses tab and tell him his girlfriend insisted."

Grabbing the bottle of scotch she made her way through the employee only door. Fuck this! She was so not sticking around to see what kind of disaster was sure to follow her gay father's arrival.

Finding what she assumed to be an empty room, she slid inside graceful, locking the door behind her. Sure that no one followed her she pressed her back to the door and let out the breath she had been holding. It started off as such a good day and now she was hiding before they even cut the cake.

"Come to throw me out," an unmistakable voice rasped.

Her eyes snapped up to the lone body in the room, speak of the devil. The handsome boy that had been consuming her thoughts through most of the day was sprawled out lazily across the only chaise in the room.

"Chuck," she breathed in surprise. Not expecting him, there of all places.

"Or maybe you were just scoping out the area for a place that you and your boy toy can rendezvous?" he inquired bitterly.

"Hardly." Blair snorted indignantly, pulling herself together as she made her way toward her boyfriend.

"Then why are you here?" The dark headed boy questioned rudely, staring at the female ahead of him.

"I could ask you the same question Bass," Blair retaliated. She was curious as to why he was hiding out in the dressing room alone.

"I wanted to be alone," Chuck answered honestly.

"Couldn't you just go home if you wanted to be alone?" the brunette female pressed, taking a seat beside him.

"I could, but I chose not to," he agreed, not caring to take the conversation further.

"How is my long lost _friend_ Carter?" Chuck asked after a moment of silence, trying and failing miserably at keeping the jealously from his voice.

"You saw that?" She stated aloud, mentally wondering how long he had been at the party and how much he had seen.

"I did," the boy verified. "I had no idea you two where fucking."

"We are not _fucking_, as you so elegantly put it. He kissed me. That was It." Blair responded hatefully, standing from chaise in an attempt to intimidate him with her height.

"I'm not stupid Blair. Why else would you agree to me sleeping with other females unless you had a side boy of your own," the dark headed boy shot back. Rising to his own height as well, the bottle laid forgotten on the floor as he stalked towards the brunette.

Blair opened her mouth and then closed it. She was speechless. _Was that how he viewed her? A common harlot?_

Mistaking her silence as a sign of quilt he continued. "Here I thought a woman with your power would have standards, I guess I was wrong."

"I am not sleeping with Carter Baizen!" Blair exclaimed. Frustrated that he wouldn't listen to her she blurted the only thing that would make him believe her. "I'm not sleeping with anybody! I've never slept with anyone!"

"Spare me your heart felt dramatics Blair, anyone could see..." her boyfriend started angrily before her words caught up with him and his sentence died in his throat. Staring wide eyed at the woman he had cornered as he tried to form something to say.

"Surely you don't mean?" Chuck asked, his voice dropping in fear.

"Yes," she answered honestly. Her eyes cast to the ground as she choked out the rest of her words in embarrassment, "the reason I didn't care is because I have never participated in the act myself."

The boy eyed his girlfriend curiously_. A virgin! He hated virgins!_ That fact alone should have made him run the other direction, but he couldn't. He couldn't move. He was paralyzed in shock. He felt like such a fool. Not wanting to make a bigger idiot of himself he decided to change the subject.

"Why are you here?" The brunette boy questioned again, taking a step back in an attempt to put some space between the two bodies.

"To escape." Blair whispered, her large brown eyes staring straight into his soul. He could see every emotion swimming in the dark orbs, worry, passion, confusion, lust, sadness, everything.

"Fuck this," Chuck growled crossing the space them in one stride. Pushing her petite body into the vanity behind her as his greedy lips crashed into hers with a primal need. A smirk gracing his lips as pulled her closer, feeling her respond to his touch. He wanted this and she, she needed this.

* * *

**A/N:**Okay, sorry it wasn't as long as it usually was but in my defense I wrote this in the last 24 hours. Also I hate to tell you all bad news but I think this story will be getting switched to M next time. :( Hopefully the new chapter of sexual goodness will be posted sometime this week, 7 days tops.

Blairs hair for as the queen of hearts : www. leighton /wp content/uploads /2011/12/7ce63_Leighton Meester_ InStyle_gossip_girl_

Just the style, I still picture her with Black hair and being eighteen.

Also this is the chaise that Chuck was on, : diaryof asmartchick 2009/07 /fainting-couch-vs- chaise-lounge/

(Remove spaces)

"Good girls go bad"- Cobrastarship feat. Leighton Meester.


	13. Funny little feeling

_"Fuck this," Chuck growled crossing the space them in one stride. Pushing her petite body into the vanity behind her as his greedy lips crashed into hers with a primal need. A smirk gracing his lips as pulled her closer, feeling her respond to his_ **touch.**_ He wanted this and she, she needed this._

Blair froze in shock as she felt her body hit the hard surface behind her. Before she could even wrap her head around his change sudden in demeanor, he was on her. Gripping her upper arms tightly, he crushed her small frame to his toned chest as if his very life depended on it. She felt his lips press harder against her own, trying to force a response from her rigid body. _Do something! Don't just stand there_, she chastised herself.

She drug herself out of her stupor as she felt his tongue sweep out across her bottom lip, demanding entrance. Hesitantly, she relaxed into his embrace. Moving her mouth against his, she parted her lips to grant him better access. The tension left her shoulders as she melted into the demanding kiss. Feeling the electric hum through her veins, she placed her hands on the back of his neck to bring him closer.

He groaned into her mouth, sending vibrations into the back of her throat as her fingers grasped at his hair. Releasing her arms, he slid his hands down to the hem of her dress and under the red and black lace material. He grabbed her hips and hoisted her small frame up to sit on the edge of the vanity. He stepped in-between her legs as his hands bunched her dress up around her waist. She moaned against him as she felt his hands caress the sensitive skin of her thighs. The burning was back. The raging inferno consumed her body, mind, and soul. The delicious feeling of scorching hot flames licked at her womb, creating an unquenchable thirst that she had never felt before. Her insides clinched with want. For what, she wasn't sure. The only thing she knew was that her body needed this, craved this.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she tightened them until their chests were touching. She shivered in delight as she felt his erection press against her. His kissed her passionately, devouring her lips in a battle of dominance. She could feel the desperation behind his frantic movements. She understood the dark need he was trying to fulfill, he was afraid she would run. He wasn't going to allow her the opportunity to try. The message was clear. He was claiming her, marking her body as his own. She submitted to him, offering him to take what he desired, to find his solace within her.

Chuck torn his lips from hers, gasping for oxygen as he buried his head into her neck. She hummed in appreciation as she felt him press light, gentle kisses across the hollow of her throat. Her mind lost in a heavy fog of hunger. It was nice, peaceful even, to not have to think. It was as if her brain had completely shut down and she was lost in a wind whirl of lust filled touches. Complete silence, incapable of doing anything other than feel the pleasure that he was creating inside of her. Her body stilled and her breath hitched as she felt his fingers brush over her panty covered center. His intention was obvious. He planned to fuck her, here, and now. Her minded snapped out of the thick, serene haze that had settled over it. _No. She refused to lose her virtue in such a tasteless act! She had more class and more respect for herself than to let him take her in the back room of a dirty club. _

"Chuck, not here." Blair stated breathlessly, finding her voice. She moved her small hands to push against his chest lightly. She almost sighed in relief as she felt his exploration of her body come to an abrupt halt. He laid his head upon her shoulder, taking deep breaths against her throat to calm himself.

She ran her fingers through his chestnut hair to sooth him. As much as she wanted him, wanted this, there were so many things that had to be resolved before that could happen. After what felt like hours, he raised his head to stare into her chocolate eyes. So many unanswered questions lay between them. So many things left unsaid. Meeting his gaze, she felt her heart constrict. The raw emotion in his green orbs left ungraded. The longing, confusion, desire, fear…swirled openly for her to see. His carefully built walls had crumbled around him. He was completely vulnerable, allowing her insight to his inner turmoil. He wanted to be able to trust her, but he was unsure, she could tell. She watched him, imploring him to answer the questions burning in her chocolate orbs. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as he shook his head.

"You can trust me. I won't judge you." Blair encouraged softly, allowing him to search her eyes for any form of betrayal.

Chuck snorted. Anger flashed through his orbs before the metal door came barricading down again, shielding his thoughts from view.

"Not here," he stated coldly, mirroring her words back at her.

She wanted to argue and demand that he answered her now, but she knew it would prove to be a mute point. She sighed softly. She could respect that. He hadn't said no, just not here. She wondered vaguely if that was how he interpreted her response. _Did he take her words as a refusal to sleep with him? Or an acceptance at a later date?_

Placing on last kiss on her bare shoulder, he took a step back, untangling himself from her arms. There was a sense of finality about the way he stood, shoulders squared, emotions hidden. The conversation was over. No real sentences had been spoken, but the implication lingered between them. Another unspoken agreement had been made.

_Later._ The word rang clear and loud through their minds.

Knowing that he would tell her when he was ready, she gracefully slid to her feet and straighten out her dress. His eyes softened at the sight of her. She was sure that she looked like a complete mess after their heated encounter. Turning to look at her reflection, she began scrutinizing herself. Thankfully, her hair had been teased already. The only thing indication of their tryst, were her red, freshly kissed, swollen lips. She blushed as she thought about what almost happened. She had been prepared to give her virginity to Chuck Bass, the most notorious 'rake' of the upper east-side. _What the hell was wrong with her?_ Sure he was attractive and there was obviously chemistry between the two, but did that mean she could just throw herself at him like some sort of desperate slut?

She caught his eyes through the mirror. He had that look in his eyes again. The only that made her insides squirm. His orbs darkened with hunger. It was a warning of what was to come. It was a reminder that he was the lion and she was the sheep. She broke his gaze, embarrassed over her weakness around him. She directed her eyes self consciously at her shoes. Her skin creating goose bumps, aware of his lust filled orbs penetrating her back. Her eyes snapped back to his reflection as she heard his designer shoes move closer toward her. He stood behind her, curiously eyeing her mirrored image, like she was a puzzle that needed solving. He reached his hand out slowly to trace the creamy flesh between her shoulder and neck. Her eye lids fell shut as she felt the electrical current run from his fingers tips to her skin.

"Blair…" Chuck rasped, a hint of pain weaving through his voice.

A loud knock echoed around the room, interrupting whatever he was about to say.

"Blair Bear? Are you in there darling?"

Blair sighed in frustration, with her father, with Chuck, most of all herself. She had been so caught up with the intimacy of her moment with Chuck that she had forgotten all about her birthday party, just on the other side of the door. Guest of honor or not, a party in her favor was the last thing she wanted to be a part of at that moment.

She opened her eyes to find Chuck regarding her intently. If she wanted him to be honest and open up to her about his parents, then she would be a hypocrite to deny him the same in return.

"My dad," she answered. "His name is Harold. He flew in for my birthday."

"I see. Shouldn't you be spending time with her father instead of hiding out inside of a dressing room with me?" Chuck inquired, his hand stilling against her shoulder.

"He didn't come alone. His significant other accompanied him," Blair explained bitterly.

"Your father cared about you enough to fly across the world to be with you. So what if you have to endure the company of his wife, at least you have his love and attention."

"My father abandoned me. He didn't care about my feelings when he had an affair with one of my mother's models." She clarified, "male models. He didn't once stop to think how it would affect my life."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Chuck asked, his mind reeling. She wasn't spilling her deepest darkest secrets, but she was attempting to trust him.

"How can I expect you to trust me Bass, if I don't trust you?" Blair teased lightly, a semi smirk played across her lips.

"Blair?" the voice called again.

"Touché," the brunette boy nodded. He glanced at the door before stepping away from her.

"This conversation is far from over," she insisted.

"I would be an idiot to assume otherwise."

_Later._

With a slight nod of the head, she turned her back, and walked out of the room to meet her awaiting father. She couldn't help but feel like something had changed. The usual tension between the two of them had shifted slightly. She couldn't say if it was a good change. It was definitely different.

* * *

Chuck stared longingly at her retreating form. He frowned when he heard the door snap shut behind her, leaving him alone with his self loathing thoughts once again. There was something about her. He couldn't put his finger on it. She was unlike anybody he had ever met before. She was beautiful, feisty, witty, and charming. She was like a breath of sunshine, illuminating the darkness around him. It was refreshing to want somebody, to have somebody want him, that wasn't a gold digging whore.

_A virgin_! He couldn't get over the fact that someone as breathtaking and sexual as Blair would still have their virginity intact. Strangely, instead of wanting to push her away, he wanted to be the person she gave it to. She was untarnished, untouched, it was alluring. She was completely unaware of her perfection or of its affect on the males surrounding her. The thought of another man touching her had been his undoing. He had lost control in his haste to claim her, make her his. He didn't want anyone else to have her. She was his. She belonged to him. He wanted her to understand that, needed her to see. He would ruin the enigma that was Blair Waldorf for all other men. He would make sure that if she so much as touched another man, she would think of him. _He had to have her._

* * *

Remembering the small gift wrapped box in his breast pocket, he cursed himself. He had forgotten to give her birthday present to her.

"Daddy?" Blair called as the door closed behind her. She just wanted to leave. After her moment with Chuck, the thought of him sitting at home alone, while she was out enjoying herself with friends was too much for her to bear. One thing she had learned about Chuck Bass, that he's not incapable of feelings, he's just not sure how to handle them. Resolving that she would leave as soon as she got the opportunity, she followed the hallway back into the main room. She ignored the faceless people around her as she walked up the stage and took her throne at the end of the table.

She was lost in thought. The loud music, people talking, bright lights, all faded around her. She had been with the same man her whole life. In all of those years, he never once looked at her the way Chuck did. He never made her feel desired or sexy, never made her feel wanted. She had wasted a large part of her childhood being groomed for him. It was tiring, trying perfect, always striving to be better. Perfection was an unrealistic goal. When she was with Marcus, she would constantly fight to keep his interest, to gain his attention. With Chuck, he just gave it to her. Every time she walked into a room she could feel his eyes on her. He wanted her, she knew that. She also knew that once he got what he wanted he would dispose of her, sexually at least. She would hope they would still be friends. She didn't really know, considering he wasn't friends with any of his previous conquests prior to bedding them. A part of her was thankful for that, she wasn't sure how she would feel if she slept with him and then had to hang out with him and someone else he had slept with. It would be like a constant reminder of his escapades. _Was she really considering losing her virginity to him just because of the way he looked at her?_ No, she was considering it because of the way he made her feel.

Blair had waited eleven years for her and Marcus to 'be' together. Look where that got her. She had been completely faithful to him, stood by his side loyally through the good and bad times, while he was too busy thrusting himself inside of his whore of a step mother to even notice. She gave up everything for him and he just threw it back in her face.

The brunette female wanted to know what that felt like, to be lost in throes of passion. At eighteen, she was too old to wait for notions as silly as love. Her hormones wouldn't allow it. Her chastity had become a burden that she didn't want it anymore. _New Year. New country. New Blair._ So what if Chuck had fucked half of New York, at least that meant he knew what he was doing right? Right. She was going to do it. She was going to have sex with Chuck Bass_. No one would judge her if they found out, it was normal to be sexually active while in a relationship_.

Once her mind had been decided, she couldn't get rid of her virtue fast enough. Her plans on how to accomplish her new mission of 'seducing Chuck Bass' came to an abrupt halt when two blondes happily plopped down beside her.

'Hey B! Where have you been?" Serena asked curiously.

"I'm not really feeling too well. I went out to get some fresh air," Blair lied, offering a small smile of reassurance to her best friend.

"Oh, are you okay?" the blonde questioned, concern filling her eyes.

Blair offered her a slight nod in return.

"Your dads been looking everywhere for you," her friend informed her casually.

"I am aware, I've been avoiding him. When you see him could you tell him I left early and that …?"

"You can't leave early! You're the guest of honor!" Serena exclaimed, astonished at the thought of someone leaving their own party.

"Please S." the brunette begged, giving her best puppy dog eyes.

"We cut the cake first," the blonde sighed, put out that her friend was leaving.

"As long as no one sings 'happy birthday' you have yourself a deal," Blair laughed, happy that she had gotten what she wanted.

"Great! I'll be right back," Serena smiled, before disappearing in the endless sea of people.

"Nate what suite does Chuck stay in?" the brunette questioned, turning her attention to her best friends boyfriend.

"1812. Why?" the blonde boy challenged. Blair smirked at him as if to say 'really?' Pulling out his wallet, he flitted through it until he came across a sleek, bronze, piece of plastic. He grabbed the card and slid it across the table. "Ah. Here. It's a copy of his room key," he offered.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Nate insisted, "No really, don't. Serena would kill me if she found out I was encouraging him."

Blair let out a soft chuckle as she reached for the key and slipped the cool plastic into the band of her thigh high.

After Blair cut the cake, satisfying her best friend's wishes, she slipped out of the party unnoticed. Hailing a cab, she made her way to the Palace.

* * *

Chuck Bass had many attributes, being patient was not one of them.

He had left the soirée minutes after Blair had rejoined the crowd, unable to stay in the secluded room any longer. Every time he looked at the vanity, he could see her. He imagined what it would have been like, to take her against the aged wood. Realistically, he knew that sitting straight up, with your ass hanging off the edge of a hard surface was probably not the best way to lose ones virginity. He had more respect for Blair than to take her in such a primal manner. She deserved more than a quick fuck in the back of a club he owned. That didn't stop the assault of fantasies from invading his mind, each one more detailed than the last. He couldn't help it, she just looked so delectable pressed against him, hair mused and lips full. He wanted her, in his sheets, in his bedroom. _Not 1812, Blair was no whore._ He wanted her in his home, in his bed.

Chuck had been sitting in his suite for less than forty minutes before he decided that he couldn't wait any longer. He had to see her, had to talk to her. Pulling out his phone, he called Arthur to have him bring the car around. He grabbed his blazer, slid his mobile into the pocket, and headed down to meet his awaiting limo.

The ride to Fifth Avenue seemed to take longer than usual. He was nervous. As much as he liked to believe that Blair was different, he was scared that she would treat him differently once he opened up to her. She had been forthcoming about her family. It would be unfair to deny her the same courtesy. He would answer whatever questions she had to ask. He just hoped that he would get to keep her afterwards.

He let out a visible sigh of relief as his limo came to a stop outside of building 1136. He took a few deep breaths as he waited for his driver to open the door.

Once he stepped onto the curb, he turned to Arthur and dismissed him for the rest of the night. He wasn't sure how long it would take and he didn't want to have his driver on call all night. As much as he detested the idea, he would call a cab if he had to. Nodding a farewell and goodnight to Arthur, he made his way through the lobby and up to Blair's apartment.

He walked out of the elevator, through the foyer, and up the stairs silently. Although he didn't think it mattered either way, the loud 'ding' that echoed through the house upon his arrival had already alerted his presence.

"Miss Blair not home Mister Chuck. She go to big party, be home late." Dorota informed him from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll wait." Chuck stated.

"Second door on right," she smiled.

He nodded his head in a form of thanks, dismissing the maid as he continued down the hall to Blair's room. Pushing the door open, he smiled. The powder blue walls immediately calmed him. He looked around the room, curiously. He had never pictured her private quarters being blue, but somehow, mixed with the soft creams and pale pinks, it screamed Blair Waldorf. The fire burned brightly, allowing light to shine dully throughout the room. Discarding his blazer, he laid it on the chaise nestled in the corner. He walked around the room, taking it in. his fingers skimming across the different fixtures. He paused at the copy of 'The garden of Eden,' written by Ernest Hemingway,' sitting on her desk. Most females read modern day love stories, and then again, she wasn't most females.

Chuck sighed loudly as he sat down on her over-sized silk bed. It smelled like her. Lost in thought, he let the soothing sent of vanilla wash over him as he waited for her to arrive.

* * *

Blair stood outside of room 1812, staring at the door with a plastic Tupperware container in her hand. She had been standing there for ten minutes trying to gather the courage to go inside. All possible scenarios had run through her mind. What if he turned her away, she didn't think he would, but you could never be sure when it came to men. Her biggest fear, what if his bed was already occupied for the night. Sure she had seen it on film, but she didn't think she could stand to witness the act of him having sex with somebody else in person. No matter the outcome, she wasn't going to get much done standing around outside of his apartment.

Taking a deep breath to gain confidence, she pulled the key out from under her dress and slid it into the key pad. She waited until the light turned green and opened the door. Silence greeted her as she walked into the room. Placing her key back into undergarments, she made her way toward the bar. She sat the container she had brought for him on the counter, before she searched the rooms for Chuck. Finding no trace of her boyfriend, she frowned. _Where could he be? _Her eyes lingered on the bed. _So many women must have lain on those sheets, sweat covered underneath him, writhing in pleasure. _Ava's face entered her mind. Shaking her head in contempt, she left just as quickly as she came. If she never had to return to that room it would be too soon.

Blair sat in the back of the cab, slightly disappointed in the night's events. She didn't know where he was, but at that moment she found that she really didn't care. So what if he was off fucking some other female. It wasn't like she had a right to be jealous. She had her chance, albeit it wasn't ideal, she still had it. Just because she had decided to sleep with him, didn't make him aware of the fact. She was being ridiculous. It had been a long night and she clearly wasn't thinking properly. She would sleep on it; hopefully she would be in her right mind come morning. America was affecting her ability to make clear headed decisions.

She nearly ran to her room once the elevator opened to her house. Slipping her heels off, she left them in the foyer for Dorota to put away later. She took the stairs two at a time, eager to crawl into bed. Tomorrow would be a new day a better day. She slowed considerably at the sight of her door ajar. _That was unusual._ She pushed the door to her bedroom open silently, her heart jumping into her throat at the sight of Chuck Bass sitting contently at the edge of the bed. _How long had he been waiting there? _He was breathtaking, the fire illuminated his features. He looked so out of place in her haven, but at the same time it was as if he belonged there.

He must have felt her staring, because seconds later his eyes snapped up to her frame in the doorway, before gluing them to the wall in front of him.

"What would you like to know?" Chuck inquired, avoiding her chocolate orbs. If he was going to be honest, he couldn't bear to look at her while doing so.

"Tell me about your parents," she stated softly. She moved from the door frame to take a seat on the bed beside him.

"They're dead. I know you know this, so why bother asking?" he sighed,

"I would rather hear it from you. There is a lot of speculation to be made when a third party is involved." Blair commented, her eyes never leaving his face.

"My mother passed out shortly after I was born. My father died a few months after is wedding to Lily."

"What were they like?" She pressed, taking note of the way his jaw clenched.

"My father was a very cold business man. We rarely spoke to each other."

"And your mother?"

"I wouldn't know, he never told me about her."

Silence fell over them, thick with tension. Both lost in their own thoughts. Several minutes passed between them before Blair spoke again.

"Why?" The implication was known. _Why did he hide it from her? Why didn't he trust her? Why the secrecy?_

"I hate pity more than anything." Chuck answered honestly, eyes trained in front of him. "Everyone treats me like a black sheep; they're not sure how to act around me. You're the first person to challenge me. You don't pretend, you are who you are and you won't let anyone tell you differently. When you look at me I don't see that knowing look in your eyes. I guess I just didn't want that to change. It was nice to have finally met someone who liked me for me, not just because of my money, my power, or because they felt bad for me."

She stared at him, her heart breaking for the man in front of her. She could picture him as a child, trying to gain approval from his father, wondering why he never had time for him, if there was something wrong with him. She understood how that felt, the constant disappointment of being let down time after time, of never being good enough. She was starting to realize that there were many layers to Chuck Bass. He was shallow, egotistical, and sleazy, but underneath the façade he wore, he was just like her. Broken.

Her hand moved of its own accord, caressing his cheek as she pulled his eyes up to look at her. His guard was down again. Emotion swimming through his emerald eyes on display, he was no longer hiding from her. She wanted him like this, vulnerable. She had never been more certain of anything in her life.

Slowly, she brought his face down to hers, pressing her lips timidly against his. After a beat, his body relaxed as he began to kiss her back. She let her hand fall to the top button of his shirt, popping it open. His breathing hitched as her fingers shakily ran down his chest, stopping every few seconds to release another button. Her hands ran up bare chest. Grabbing each side of his collar, she pushed the soft material off his shoulders. He paused to slide his shirt off his arms, letting it fall to the floor. She pulled him closer. Deepening the kiss as her hands roamed over his naked flesh. He groaned under her soft, trembling palms. Spurred by his noises, her hand brushed against his belt coyly, tugging at the leather. His hand clamped around her wrist, preventing her from moving forward. He broke away breathlessly, desire shinning through his orbs.

"Are you sure?"

Unable to form words, she boldly placed her lips on his again. His grip on her wrist lessened, giving her permission to continue. She felt a jolt of satisfaction as the belt gave way. He stood from the bed, hauling her body up with him, his mouth never leaving hers. He wrapped his arms around her, dragging her petite body to press snugly against his chest. She felt the electric charge rush over her skin as hesitantly unzipped her dress. He stepped back, breaking the kiss as he pulled the lace down her frame. His eyes roamed over her creamy skin, committing every detail to memory. Clad in her pale pink and yellow under garments, she fidgeted nervously underneath his intense stare. She watched him as he discarded his shoes and socks, before freeing himself of his slacks. He stalked toward her fluidly, embracing her. He kissed her lightly as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She smiled into his lips, thankful for the distraction. He scooped her up into his arm and deposited her gently onto the bed.

Her eyes followed Chuck as joined her on the mattress. He brought his mouth to hers once again as he nestled himself between her legs. Tingles ran up her spine as his hands ran across her soft exposed skin. She squirmed under him as the thick burning haze assaulted her senses. Need coursed through her body as she felt him remove her bra and palm the untouched tightly stretched bundles. He tore his lips from hers, panting, as he placed soft open mouth kisses across her chest. She could feel his length pressed hot and heavy against her thigh. She moaned; her eyes closing of their own accord as his mouth found her nipple. Desire pooled between her legs as he teased the sensitive flesh lightly. His hands moved to her hips, pausing over the hard piece of plastic tucked into her stockings.

She opened her eyes when she felt him pull away. He was staring at her, an unmistakable question burning through his half lidded gaze.

"I wanted to surprise you," Blair panted.

A smirked played across his lips as he sat up. He un-clipped and rolled off her thigh highs, one at a time, caressing her milky thighs tenderly. Her breathing became erratic as he hooked his fingers into the waist band of her underwear. He placed soft kisses down her stomach as he slid the silk material down her legs. Slipping off the bed gracefully, he stared down at her naked body as he searched the pocket of his slack for a condom. Finding the square aluminum package, he pulled off his boxers and crawled back onto the bed. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. _No way. No way in hell._ Panic gripped her stomach as he settled himself above her once again.

Chuck ran his fingers through her hair. "Relax," he ordered, pulling her mouth into a heated kiss.

She tried not to think of what was happening; choosing instead to focus on the delicious sensations she was feeling. _She wanted this, she knew it the first time was never good_. She kissed him back. Unsure of what to do with her hands; they went to his hair. Her body jerked suddenly when she felt his finger run across her sex. He hissed lowly as his fingers slipped easily over her fold, she was slightly embarrassed by her wetness. His fingers teased her opening, dipping in and out, but never entering her fully. She gripped his hair as the heated coil in her womb tightened.

"Chuck," she whined, unable to take anymore.

Ripping the foil, he rolled the condom onto his length. He slid his finger inside of her, sliding it in and out in slow deliberate pace. She could feel something building inside of her, consuming her. He slipped in a second finger the first preparing her, stretching her. She almost growled in frustration as she felt his manhood prod her entrance. She was half tempted to roll him over and take control; it was almost as if he were tormenting her on purpose. She writhed against his fingers moaning as the pleasure swirled around her lower abdomen. Her mind drew a blank as he began rubbing circles over her bundle of nerves.

"Come for me," he whispered, increasing his speed. Her manicured nails raked across his black as her orgasm crashed over her. Intense pleasure curled in her womb, spreading from the pads of her fingers to the tips of her toes.

"Look at me princess."

_Funny, she didn't realize they had been closed. _

Disoriented and panting she got lost in his eyes, thick with emotion. She watched in a fog as the desire, awe, adoration, all swirled in his bright green pool as they stared into her soul. With their eyes locked, he slowly sheathed himself inside of her. Her eyes clamped shut and she gripped his shoulders roughly as she felt her barrier give way, a small whimper escaping her lips_. Oh ouch, that hurt._ Once he was all the way in, he stilled. He placed delicate kisses across her nose and cheeks to calm her.

"Breath baby," Chuck instructed.

She took slow deep breaths to sooth her tense muscles. After a few minutes, she felt her body relax and the pain from the intrusion dissipate. Her eyes opened once again to stare at the man above her. Jaw taut, hair disarrayed, muscles strained, he was gorgeous. She wanted to remember him in that moment forever. She was touched by the amount of intimacy he was allowing her. She raised her hand to trace along his cheek, turning his head slightly, he kissed her palm. She smiled lightly as he placed a chaste kiss against her lips. He groaned as she wiggled her hips and wrapped her legs around his waist. She moved her hands down to his for arms, before offering him a light nod.

Hesitantly, as if afraid to hurt her more than necessary, he pulled out gently, before sliding to the hilt again. As much as she knew about Chuck, she knew could tell it wasn't his usual type of fuck. She knew he was restraining himself for her. She found herself wanting to please him, to make him feel the immense pleasure that she had felt.

She rolled her hips, testing, teasing. He buried his head in her shoulder as he bit back a groan.

"Blair," he rasped.

Excited by his response she rolled her hips again.

"I won't last it you keep doing that," chuck admitted embarrassingly.

She met his hips, thrust for thrust, trying to help him reach his peak. He panted against her throat as his thrust became hurried, erratic. She could tell he was close.

"Come on baby," she encouraged, returning his earlier words to him as she tightened her legs around him.

He gasped her name as he came loudly, holding gripping her body against his.

He slumped against her, resting his wait upon her as he tried to catch his breath. She threaded her fingers lightly through his hair as he nuzzled her neck.

* * *

Blair groaned in annoyance as the rays of sun filtered through the glass and across her face. Her head was pounding. _Ugh._ _Didn't Dorota know better than to keep the curtains drawn after a night of drinking?_ She would have rolled her eyes at her inconsiderate maid, had she been sure that she wouldn't die. As it was, she didn't think her headache would allow her such small pleasures. Too tired to get out of bed and close the blinds herself, she decided that she would hide under the blanket. She frowned when she shifted further into the warmth, making her aching thighs painfully obvious. What the hell? Memories of the night before came crashing back to her in a stream of distorted blurs. She hadn't even gotten drunk. She remembered going to her party, her heated moment with Chuck in the dressing room, going to suite 1812, coming home, Chuck waiting for her, they talked and then… Oh. My. God! She did it, she had sex with Chuck!

Her shock was short lived as she felt the bed shift beside her. An arm wrapped around her unclothed waist, pulling her delicate body against his bare chest. _She was naked!_

"Don't," the unmistakable voice mumbled his breath hot against the back of her neck. "Don't over think this."

Her body stilled as he began tracing invisible patterns across the soft span of her stomach. She squirmed slightly as she felt her insides heat under his hands. He planted soft kisses along the back of her shoulder as his hand slipped lower between her thighs. She moaned as she felt his fingers trace her delicate folds, making her jump slightly at the unexpected touch.

"Were not finished yet," he warned, holding her form to his as he continued his administrations.

"I hate you," she groaned, feeling the desire flood her senses.

He ignored her as he began rubbing her nub in small circular motions, his growing length pressed firmly against her back. She wiggled in his arms as she felt the coil tighten in her womb, soft pleasure filled noises spilling out of her mouth. She didn't think she could last another moment without him inside of her.

"S'il vous plait," she begged.

He slid his knee between her legs as he positioned his erection against her center, holding her body tightly as he buried himself inside her velvet walls in one fluid thrust.

* * *

"Funny little feeling"- Rock-n-Roll soldiers


End file.
